Thursday Three For All: True South, First-Time Counselees, and Hurricane Prep
It’s Thursday, kiddies: the day when I roll out a few things I’ve been reading over the past week. Three of ‘em, to be exact. Enjoy. (Remember: click on the big bold print to read the entire article.)
My True South: Why I Decided to Return Home
(via @jesmimi) This is a wee bit lengthy, but gripping read. Don’t skip it.
When I crossed the Louisiana-Texas state line, I exhaled. And I exhaled again when I crossed the Mississippi state line over the swampy expanse of Pearl River. When I turned right on Kiln DeLisle Road, driving past my grandmother’s house, my grandaunt’s house, my uncles’ houses and my sister’s house, where my uncles were fixing the roof on the pump shed and my aunt waved from her porch, another exhalation. When I pulled into my mother’s rocky driveway and cut my car off, another; and then a deep breath to steady myself and gain my bearings.
When people ask me why I returned home to Mississippi after years of living in the West, the East and the Midwest, I simply say this: I moved home because I love the beauty of the place, and I love the people. But this is a toothless answer, as weak and harmless as a baby’s mouth.
First-Time Participants
(via @John_H_Chapman) How does a counselor think through First Impressions? The Summit’s G4 Director walks us through it.
These are individuals who have not been to G4 before and are perhaps nervous about the idea of joining our ministry because of the stigma that is attached to attending “group counseling.” Our goal is to make these individuals feel welcome and as though they have made the right choice in taking the tremendous step of courage walking through the door for the first time.
Introduce Yourself: Most often we see first time guest walk in a little bit slowly because they are nervous. They are looking around to check for some sign that they are in the correct place and are most often not carrying curriculum. When you see someone who seems nervous, introduce yourself, offering your name, and ask them if it is their first time.
Floridian’s Hurricane Survival Guide
(via @creationsross) Sub in “North Carolinians” for “Floridians” and you have an idea of what our area looks like as we prepare for Florence. Warning: there are a few garden-variety millennial bad words in the video. I’m rating this one PG-10.
photo credit: Jason Mathis
