Lesson Learned

Throughout my existence upon this rock I have learned many a thing. Tin foil and microwaves make for a great show (as long as it is someone else’s microwave), commercials ruin everything, the human condition is fascinating, etc. Recently, life’s little lessons have been popping up to remind me that this whole breathing thing is a gift and should be exploited to its maximum potential. What follows are two of my many memorable lessons.

Chicago is a city that has played witness to my antics many times over the years. No matter my destination, when the trip is made with a group of people, I am always sure to set aside one day during the excursion to spend exploring what I want to explore, doing what I want to do. This day is known as a “Brooks Day,” and it is lovely in my eyes. During one such “Brooks Day” a few years ago, I decided to explore the buildings, people and culture of that which surrounds Chicago’s famed Water Tower. My wanderings soon found me in a high rise enjoying the views from a glass elevator. After riding the elevator to the upper most reaches of its range, I began the decent. About two floors from the top, the elevator stopped to let some very classy gentlemen aboard. Being an outgoing beast, I could not help but ask the slightly elderly gent of the three where on earth he had purchased such a fantastic suit. We commenced on a very pleasant conversation, one in which the gentleman handed me the card of the tailor who had made the “$12,000” suit. The talk was beyond pleasant, my day was brightened by the experience and the goodbye handshake was accompanied by a shoulder grab, big smile and a “pleasure to meet you, young man.” A few days after our return from Chicago, the FBI made what was advertised as a “crippling bust” of Chicago Outfit mafia heads. There, on the Tribune’s front page, was the man that I had ridden an elevator with. The pleasant grandfatherly figure was a supposed lifetime hood who had risen through the ranks of the Outfit and was sitting pretty near the top. Lesson? One never knows who will be crossing your path. The impact that crossing may have could reach far beyond that initial meeting.

On one of my many times leading a tour through Safe Passage’s sites I found myself wandering through Safe Passage’s main project building. As I talked and did the usual backward walk, to maintain eye contact with my charges, I found myself suddenly whipped around and being pulled into an empty classroom by one of Safe Passage’s social workers. I was able to spit out a quick “BeRightBack!” before we disappeared into the quiet room. She began with trying to keep me calm. “Oh my God, Brooks, we might die. I need you to come with me next door!” And so, wondering why I was being pulled away from the relative safety of the project building to deal with a situation in which a normally calm and collected social worker just blurted out “…we might die,” I was pulled down the hall and through the front door into the narrow street beyond. We soon found ourselves in the strangely abandoned comador next to Safe Passage’s building. Three men waited for us at a table in the center of this outdoor cafeteria. They were obviously MS-13 gang members. MS-13 is an extremely violent gang that controls some parts of Guatemala City. I had dealt with them before in my capacity as a tall, bald, white dude who oftentimes wanders through their neighborhoods and found them to be a lot like normal Guatemalans, except with many tattoos. However, I had never seen this sort of set up. And so, with that fact in mind, my exact thought was “Yup, I suppose we are about to die.” However, the meeting turned out to be a friendly chat about how grateful the neighborhood was to Safe Passage for taking care of their children. Lesson? Never judge a book by its cover. The situation that one may find themselves in may seem bleak, but in the end, it may be one of the most empowering, satisfying experiences of your life. Where else can a white Traverse City kid have a heart to heart with a Latino gang banger?

Yes, life has brought me many lessons over my 28 years; “there is no better therapy than Hawaiian Tropic and the beach,” “One’s adrenaline will run out if one rides too many roller coasters” and “Yes, one person can change the world.”

Life will lead you down paths that will make you question life’s sanity. Yet, do not hesitate to follow. Do not prioritize the hum-drum or the supposed “responsibility” over the experience. “Responsibility” is over rated anyhow. Who’s to say that it is more responsible to live one’s life in a cubicle, on a phone or behind a window or wall if one does not love that life? Is it not more responsible to do what you love? Living is an experience, never say no to it. Soon, you too will find that life has given you a fascinating set of stories to attach morals to. Consider Frank Sinatra: “Live every day as if it were your last, ‘cause sooner or later, you’re gonna be right!”

Read more musings from Brooks Vanderbush at greymatterconcertos.blogspot.com.