When you woke up this morning, you had a vision for the day.
That vision was partly expressed in the places you might visit.
A coffee shop? A cinema? A friend's home? The Museum of Art? The Franklin Park Conservatory?
Our Days Are Shaped By Where We Go
How nice to be able to go just about anywhere. You are reading the Interwebs today, so you must be rich enough to have places to go.
I'm glad for you. And grateful for myself.
Still, There Are Limits
W.H. Auden wrote:
Private faces in public places
Are wiser and nicer than
Public faces in private places.
While that's Audenian good fun, there is more than a ring of truth to it.
What If You Have No Place To Go
You might have a roof over your head. Barely. You might come from deprivation.
You might get watched closely at the bookstore, to the point where you just don't feel welcome. You feel like a public face in a private place.
What becomes of a person who doesn't know the luxury — or is it a basic need? — of having a few places to visit today?
Here's A Place For Kids Who Might Otherwise Have No Place
Let's explore the Ohio Avenue Youth Center, recently renovated by the courageous and talented folks at Directions For Youth & Families.
I love the DFY&F folks because they help young people establish their footing in life.
Why don't you join met at an Open House at the Ohio Avenue Youth Center this week?
Here is your invitation:
Thursday, February 17th
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. (tours throughout, a 15-minute program at 6 p.m.)
657 South Ohio Avenue, Columbus, OH 43205
Your face will be most welcome.