 HOME |
| SPEAKERS |
| ABOUT US |
| CONTACT US |
| MY GDA |
| CAREERS |
| GAIL'S BLOG |
| NEWSLETTERS |
| GDA PRESS |
|
Powerful. The only word for today. The Southwest Oklahoma Detention Center is located in the middle of nowhere. I am from southwest Oklahoma, so I can say that. You are driving along and all of the sudden you turn right on a dirt road and there it is … a building behind a large fence with big coils of barbed wire. No cell phones or cameras are allowed inside. We were to leave purses in the car. We were physically patted down and then received a quick briefing from the center director. We were told there were 57 boys in the facility. All are under the age of 18. All are from Oklahoma. Most are from the urban areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Most of their offenses were gang related. For many, the next step could be a van taking them to a state or federal prison. Andre Norman understands the crowd. He shook his head and said “let’s do it”. We went into the gym. The juveniles were wearing different colors of shirts. Each shirt lets the staff know at a glance their behavior patterns. Staff was spread among the kids in the bleachers. More staff was on the perimeter. I did not know what to do. Andre did. He approached the boys and shook their hands. All but one shook his hand. He was too cool. I introduced Andre. I told the kids I have met lots of famous people but what impressed me most were those who keep it real and Andre Norman keeps it real. And that he did. He connected. He called it like it is. He told them the recipe for success was simple: Time spent with professional instruction equals results. He told them that education makes you universal and not being educated keeps you local. Their eyes lit up when this former prisoner talked about his life after he gained freedom. He told all the countries he visited. Suddenly the boys were raising their hands wanting to know if he was hiring. At the very end, he added one last lesson. He said a man knows how to admit when he has done something wrong and is not afraid to apologize. At that point he asked how many boys had insulted a staff member. Then he asked them if they were man enough to apologize to that person. Suddenly they stood and walked all over the gymnasium giving their apologies. And the one guy who was too cool to shake Andre’s hand? He walked right up to him … looked him in the eye and apologized. Then instead of handshake he got one of those man hugs. I am incredibly humbled. I am so thankful that I was not born into a family that has a cycle that might have caused my son to be in such a facility. But I am acutely aware that does not eliminate my responsibility. Andre says these kids are there because they are the unwanted. What can you and I do to help change that? Tomorrow we head to Hollis, Oklahoma. Hollis is a small community of about 2,000 people. My sister, Janet Richardson, owns a business there. She is a big supporter of the community. She has arranged for Andre to speak at Hollis High School at 10 a.m. in the morning. And in typical small town fashion, flyers were placed all across town and everyone is invited. Tomorrow night Andre will be at a community event starting at 7 pm at Western Oklahoma State College. Here is a link to that information http://news.wosc.edu/?p=893 Pay special attention to the poster that was created for this event. I really love it. It is extremely creative. I really hope all my hometown friends will rally for the event tomorrow night at WOSC. This “Give Back Tour” has already given me so much. And that was just day one. From the road, Gail
|
Click here to sign up for Blog Alerts Do You Take the Stairs? Saturday, March 03, 2012 Dr. Gary Chapman Brings the Love to Our Office DON'T HIRE MOVERS! Designing Women TEDxSMU - What a day! The End of the Up Experience Didn’t Leave Me Down Up, Up, Up. The Up Experience Part 3 Round 2 of the Up Experience The Up Experience, Truly Uplifting A First Class Event An Audience with the Dalai Lama The Best Email Tip I've Ever Heard Aristotle and Ideas at the IASB Conference On the Road Again Don't Just Book a Speaker, Create a Revolution Kids of the Suburbs Take Note Visiting Their Cells … Emotional. Energy. Sex, Mentors and Thank You ... An unexpected sort of day. The Give Back Tour Begins Andre Norman … and Giving Back Energy and Synergy with Ankit Fadia Momentum, Passion and Transformation Partnerships An Epic Trip Tom Martinez- A Story of Hate, A Message of Hope Kids and Speakers Ethics Live From New York Growth Customer Service: Going Above and Beyond In Remembrance of Randy Snow A Sense of Connection Event Wisdom: Simple things that make a difference International Events A CEO Who Gets it!!! Celebrating 10 Years of Inspiration Domestic Violence Milestones and Celebrations Meeting...No meeting? Speaker...No speaker? What's a planner to do? It Was No Coincidence Let's Get Healthy with Todd Whitthorne and Gail's Tips for Healthy Meetings Nando, Sonia, Tim and 2008 Timing is Everything ... and Steve Forbes, too. Rex Lewis-Clack and Cathleen Lewis
|
|||
|
|
| GDA Speakers 3500 Oak Lawn, Suite 740 Dallas, Texas 75219 214.420.1999 ©2012 All Rights Reserved |