Homeboy Love
Hi there! My name is Lauren DeClark and I am a rising senior at the University of Dayton majoring in Psychology and minoring in Criminal Justice Studies and Sociology. I have been given the incredible opportunity to experience the Marianist LA immersion with other fellow UD students, as well as students from Chaminade University and St. Mary’s University. Living in community with them the past couple of days has been a true gift. This group is so full of love ready to freely give to the world.
This morning, the group visited Homeboy Industries, the largest and most successful gang intervention, rehab, and reentry programs in the world. This was my most anticipated visit of the trip, and words cannot describe how surreal it felt to be walking in those doors. There is no denying that the building that Homeboy is located is a home, a sanctuary, and a place of healing. I was initially pleasantly overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle going on at 8:30 in the morning. The building was lively and the people were friendly- and the people there are who I want to reflect on. Surface level, I had nothing in common with these “homies”. Many were tattooed all over, others towered over me, and all have endured circumstances that I could never imagine. What do I have in common with some ex-gang members? Well...everything. In sharing our humanity we are sharing all of ourselves. As Father Greg Boyle said, “there is no us and them. Just us”. The similarity of the dignity that each and every human being possesses is rooted in a force far greater than any of us. I truly believe that there are no inheritably bad people- just inheritably bad circumstances. I looked into the eyes of Chelsea, our waitress at Homegirl Cafe, and had little doubt in my mind that if she had been raised in my privileged household, things would have turned out very different for her. Her bad decisions don’t mean she was born bad, but instead forced by the realities of the world we live in to go down a rocky path. I felt more human in that space with those people than I ever have before.
I’ve never been someone who “being present” comes easily to. I’m more often than not worrying about something that I have no control over instead of being where my feet are. This trip has given me the platform to work on being present. Being surrounded by other students who all just want to get to know each other has been such a gift. I have engaged in conversations that I never want to end, completely forgotten about my phone, and made connections with people quicker than ever before. I have been in awe of how quickly we came together and formed a FUNctioning community. This experience thus far has already been amazing- I can’t wait for what the next 4 days have in store.
This morning, the group visited Homeboy Industries, the largest and most successful gang intervention, rehab, and reentry programs in the world. This was my most anticipated visit of the trip, and words cannot describe how surreal it felt to be walking in those doors. There is no denying that the building that Homeboy is located is a home, a sanctuary, and a place of healing. I was initially pleasantly overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle going on at 8:30 in the morning. The building was lively and the people were friendly- and the people there are who I want to reflect on. Surface level, I had nothing in common with these “homies”. Many were tattooed all over, others towered over me, and all have endured circumstances that I could never imagine. What do I have in common with some ex-gang members? Well...everything. In sharing our humanity we are sharing all of ourselves. As Father Greg Boyle said, “there is no us and them. Just us”. The similarity of the dignity that each and every human being possesses is rooted in a force far greater than any of us. I truly believe that there are no inheritably bad people- just inheritably bad circumstances. I looked into the eyes of Chelsea, our waitress at Homegirl Cafe, and had little doubt in my mind that if she had been raised in my privileged household, things would have turned out very different for her. Her bad decisions don’t mean she was born bad, but instead forced by the realities of the world we live in to go down a rocky path. I felt more human in that space with those people than I ever have before.
I’ve never been someone who “being present” comes easily to. I’m more often than not worrying about something that I have no control over instead of being where my feet are. This trip has given me the platform to work on being present. Being surrounded by other students who all just want to get to know each other has been such a gift. I have engaged in conversations that I never want to end, completely forgotten about my phone, and made connections with people quicker than ever before. I have been in awe of how quickly we came together and formed a FUNctioning community. This experience thus far has already been amazing- I can’t wait for what the next 4 days have in store.
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