Warning: there may be a few No Nos in here. That’s what my 2.3 calls a cuss word.
Weather: Purt Nice
World: Gone to absolute shit (there’s one)
Backstory: There’s been lots of discussion lately. How to mend lots of hurt throughout this world. Everything seems to be in overload. Economy just took a heater on my front porch. And that’s the same front porch that the M and I hang out in a lot since the whole world is on lock down. Then cops are killing people for the hell of it (Hell doesn’t even count unless you’re a Baptist…sorry Crop, Udder, H Lips, Twig, Kleenex, Markup). Those actions have created turmoil and chaos in larger cities. Riots. Looting. Sheer absolute bat shit craziness (2). People are pissed and most have the right to be.
Not sure if you have noticed, but F3 Hickory as a region is pretty white. No very very very white. This isn’t a localized thing either, F3 Nation as a whole is pretty white. I’m not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, but I’d love to see more diversity within our group. I’ve made a few attempts to do something about that. To date, nothing has worked. But one thing keeps popping out at me: location. Look at a map of our AO’s in Hickory and despite the volume of them, they are all in NorthWest Hickory. And I get it, that’s in our comfort zone. It’s where we primarily live, work, play. It’s where our kids go to school. No need in making it harder for us to get to our AO’s right?
The only drawback is that we’re taught to Give it Away right? While there are still plenty of Sad Clowns in NW Hickory, there are still LOTS of them in SW, SE, and NE Hickory. If these clowns won’t come to us, let’s go to where they are? Ever heard Dredd talk about disruption? Well, that’s one way to do it.
So that was the long way to say we moved Organ Grinder to Ridgeview at least temporarily. Will it pay off? Who knows, but I do know that if we don’t try it, it will 100% not work. This was an impulsive decision that was posted on Slack the night before OG started. Sorry (not sorry) if some of you didn’t know where Ridgeview is. For record, it’s here: 115 7th Ave SW, Hickory, NC 28602. Use your phones for good. Don’t give me that I couldn’t find it shit (3)….steps down from his soapbox.
Thang: No need to describe in detail what went down. We warmed up. We worked out.
BUT I did have a method to the Where part of where we worked out.
We started of course at Ridgeview Recreation Center. I don’t think that it’s been around that long. I have no memory of being there as a kid. But I do at our next place: Brown Penn. I remember playing basketball there as a wee lass. It’s old. Waayy old. But more importantly, that’s the location of the start of this Saturday’s March Against Police Brutality. I hope to be there and I hope you’ll be there too. Wear a F3 shirt?
Then we headed to a nice little hill between 1st St and a church called Temple of Refuge. Did a ladder. But have you noticed how many churches are in this neighborhood? There are tons. It’s impressive really. I’d say that that has the highest concentration of churches in any part of Hickory.
Moseyed over to the entrance of Exodus Ministry’s dormitory.
Moseyed down to another church: Mt Pisgah AME for another ladder.
I had hoped to make it down to Morningstar, but we ran out of time and we had also picked up a quasi-FNG. Twister, as SHE would be later named, was a homeless woman. She was pleasant to have around and Flamer gave her a fiver so she could have breakfast. That was cool and she was grateful. Anyway, last night Morningstar hosted a prayer meeting between their congregation and the folks of Corinth church.
WOD: Love thy neighbor as thyself. It seems simple, but sometimes it’s not. Do it.
Hintsight/observations:
Maybe it was just Pumpernickle that took that heater on my front porch?
Despite being in “the hood”, we all were safe. I think that this area gets an undeserved bad rap
Slight sidenote: Have you been to John Boyz Cafe? I won’t lie and tell you it’s the best food I’ve ever had, but it’s also not bad. Fish sandwich is darn fine and the owner is super nice.
There are several other locations to try out sometime: Zara Baker/Kiwanis park, Optimist Park, Southwest Elementary, St Stephens Lutheran, St Stephens HS…..
Join me?
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