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NYE 2012
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Many of the residents of the shelter I stayed at have drinking problems or were vulnerable to drinking again with the emotional stress that comes with the holiday season and their life predicament.

As a consequence, it was a mandatory rule that all residents of the shelter had to stay in on NYE.  I was kind of mad and frustrated at first, because it was a drunk driver that change the course of my life.  Then I decided to turn a sad situation into a positive one for myself and all the residents.

I showed some wonderful short films that had spiritual significance and joy and then we played Pictionairy.

I’ll never forget the laughter and how residents engaged in the game.  There was a man in his 30s in a wheel chair who couldn’t talk, but his way of expressing joy was to throw party favors at us.

(DUCK!!!!… Cause they weren’t small party favors!)

At midnight I turned out the lights, lit one large candle and placed it in the middle of the room.  We all gathered in a circle around the candle for a ceremony that I’ve done a few times over the years…

Earlier in the day I went to a cemetery and grabbed a big branch from an oak tree to use for the midnight ceremony.  I explained that I chose a branch from this location because it represents that we are STILL alive and STILL have choices.

I asked them to consider what they would like to eliminate from their life, pick a leaf and toss it out of the circle, then pass it around.

When the branch came back around then share what they would like to bring into their life in the new year, pick a leaf and toss it into the circle.

It was really amazing some of the things that were shared in that ceremony.  Stories and life experiences were so touching.

What was even more magical was what happened AFTER that night.

In the days that followed in the cafeteria, people who usually sat alone out of pain or fear were sitting with other people and talking.  And I had people coming up to me and thanking me for hosting that event and telling me that it was the most joy and happiness they had felt in a long time.

In the days that followed I gave chalk to the residents to express themselves. —  Two of the residents had surprised me with chalk drawing around my rental car.

(My car was totaled TWICE after the DMV saw how handicapped I was and revoked my license.  I drove anyhow.   The DMV was right to take away my license, but WHO the hell else was gonna help me with housing and medical appointments?)

So bottom line is even when circumstances are REALLY bad, we all have a choice….  No matter what our life circumstance, we ALL can be Robin for someone…. EVEN A HOMELESS PERSON CAN!!!

I have spent thousands of hours and over two years trying to take a horrific situation that almost cost me my life and have been trying to turn it into a positive situation to help thousands of people by PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS and to find my own healing in making this happen. ~  Because if I can’t find a world where people wouldn’t allow what happened to me to be ok, then I don’t want any of this world.