All is well in Justin Land!

Well folks,

Tonight has been a memorable one, that is all I can say in words. I almost don't know where to begin. I guess I should start at the beginning, a very good place to start (thanks Maria). This past week I was asked, along with 3 more of my classmates, to participate in the 7th inning stretch fundraiser for a local Hoboken Theatre Company. Every year they do a baseball themed night of theatre (10 minute pieces). Each year there are commissioned by local writers and then performed as a fundraising event. I discovered a new love: Hoboken, which is just across the Hudson River, in New Jersey. It's like a smaller, quiter, Manhattan, just across the river (just around the riverbend: Thanks Pocahotus) The whole experience was wonderful. The cast of our play was so much fun to work with, and I really loved performing our play. It had heart and was still really funny! With Baseball as the theme, the playwright chose a high school setting with a crazy teacher, a nerd, a few dumb jocks, and some pretty high school girls. The nerd brings in a presentation for someone that inspires him. He choses Charlie Waitt, the man you invented the baseball glove. Now when baseball started, no one use gloves, and there were injuries left right and centre, so Charlie thought of using a glove to protect his hands from getting hurt so often. Seems obvious, but it took 21 years for people to catch on, and stop calling him Sissy, queer, fagot, and a whole slew of other degrading words. People wanted to be tough, but in the end they were just to preoccupied trying to look cool, and as a result they were injured all the time. Finally people started following Charlie's trend and now we would never think to play baseball without gloves. It was such a cute little story, but had great heart and courage! I was very proud to be apart of something that meant something to me personally. So that was a huge part of my week and weekend.

I've also been viewing the world from a different angle these last few weeks. It's been a growing experience, to say the least. These things tend to creep up on us, when we least expect it. It's amazing when you look back , and wonder how you lived any other way then the way you are living now. I look back to before i came out of the closet and I think, WOW, how did I even do that, and even looking back to life before NYC, how did I do that. Sometimes it's incredibly important to take a step back and take the birds eye view of yourself, not an easy thing to do. you basically have to look at yourself from everyone else's perspective. How are other people viewing you. To clarity a little, I don't mean you have to worry yourself to the enth degree about how people are judging you, but it's good to know how you are being read. Sometimes we loose sight of who we are, this is just the human condition. We aren't perfect, and sometimes we put a lot of focus on one thing and then forget about another thing, something that we care about a lot but didn't notice we were neglecting. We often focus on certain parts of our lives, in search for a balance. I think the balance comes when you surrender to the power of the universe (or whatever you believe is greater than we are) I think that it is the grace of that which is Higher, that allows us to find balance in our lives. My mom reminded me of the word grace, and how important it is. I don't think I've ever really understood it, despite hearing it all my life in church. Grace; it's not quite the same ask thankfulness and gratefulness. Grace is surrounded by trust, humility, peace, love, respect and honesty. Grace is something we give and receive through love! It is a gift. Tonight I went to the Broadway Inspirational Voices concert, and I was literally knock of my rocker. I mean, literally, I don't even know what to say. It was a cleanse, it was a rejuvenation, it was a dunk in the deep end of the water, it was powerful, mighty, joyful and courageous!! The choir was made up of broadway stars, and they were raising their voices to the LORD, AMEN. It brought me back to my roots. All I could think about was my mennonite roots and RJC, and CMU, and my home church. All those memories came a flooding back. It was a great reminder of where I come from, and what I am still connected to. It gives me a solid ground to stand on, and I am so grateful for that. The music stirred my soul and re lit a flame of passion, openness, determination, grace, love and joy. Joy in what I do, Joy in being me, joy in loving others, joy in all the emotions we feel everyday (happy, sad, mad, angry, annoyed, mortified, nervous, scared, exuberant, brilliant) All of these emotions are apart of everyday, and we need to let them surface.

After the concert I, along with some friends, went to the Broadway Bare 21st fundraiser for Broadway Care/Equity Fights Aids. Without going into too much detail, i have to say it literally changed my life. The fearlessness of all the dancers and performers was, once more, incredibly inspiring, and a reminder than I can, and need to do the same. Let was is most deep within out into the world. Share the you that we often keep at home behind closed doors. I challenge you and myself to open your front door and walk out with the you that is inside you, being transparent with the world. Allowing your inner self to lead you!

That is my prayer for the week. Take care, ya'll!!

LOVE LIGHT AND LAUGHTER

TBC...

j