The Twilight Zone

If you visit Charlotte, North Carolina, undoubtably you will find that you will never take the same road twice, you will never know where in the city you are at a given destination, and (despite the looming skyline you see now and then) there is no Downtown. No, Charlotte has only an Uptown, and streets that wind about and change their names every 4 blocks, and citizens that make statements such as, “Oh you're going up to Atlanta after this?” We could've sworn Atlanta was down, but hey, we're not from here, and we're starting to wonder where we are! Not to mention that upon a half inch of snow the city entered apocalypse mode, stocking up on food and water and shutting themselves in their houses upon the first flurry siting. “Hark, a white speck in the sky!” People dive for cover.

Besides all this, our infamous GPS was often more confused than we were... and henceforth Charlotte shall be known to us as the Twilight Zone of the South. And yet, what we encountered at Changed Choices was as real as it will ever get. 15 years of working with women during and after incarceration is no twilight zone, though I can imagine it might feel like it at times. Ruth, the founder, and all her staff and clients we met welcomed us with open arms, no reservations, and a lot of heart. After spending a day together she told us, “I've decided you might just be crazy enough to start a non-profit.”

We take that as a good sign.

We were cautioned by hearing from many angles what a challenge it has been for them to run Second Helping, their social enterprise arm. We remember their cautions... and then we remember its employees. 

Remember they're smiles and laughter, their hospitality and warmth, their openness and trust? Remember how there was no bitterness, no roughness, only beauty? And so we said to Ruth, “What we love about Second Helping is that, as much as a struggle it's been for you, none of that struggle shows on your employees. They're wonderful people and they love their job, and none of the strain shows on them, so you know you're doing something right! In the regular business world, if your business went through that much stress it would show.”

And so we left Changed Choices filled with more knowledge, resources, ideas, and questions, inspired by their heart and devotion. All we could leave them was a pie and our peace upon them all... Thank you, and thank you for sending us off bathed in your prayers.

....and then we both got deathly ill for a day at a time, and woke up in Atlanta to a flat tire. Life is wonderfully full of the unexpected.