Good day my dear reader. I am very sorry that Jason’s Jive was absent last issue. There was a bit too much going on with my schedule. Thanks for your patience.
Let me get straight into things. I was stopped by a young man in the early part of November, enquiring about a job. I was so happy to offer him advice and information that hopefully, he can use towards giving himself an opportunity to get ahead in life and have a brilliant future. He is only 20, but I am already looking ahead to him having a stable career and empowering himself to become a leader in the community. Although our interaction took place on the streets of West Baltimore, deep in the dangerous area, I was happy to see a young person showing a desire to remove himself from the throes of a very challenging environment. As I told him, I will do what I can to provide him with information that can lead him to get a good job and career somewhere.
The day after, I was approached by a man, out of the blue asking me about job opportunities. In our brief interaction, he indicated that he has been clean (no violations or anything else) for the last ten years. Surviving the dangers of West Baltimore for ten years is no easy feat. He is now 46, and as I told him, nothing beats a trial and getting a good job somewhere, earn a decent living and be an example to those coming behind. He agreed and said he just wants to lead a normal life.
We exchanged names, and I told him the next time he sees me, he should flag me down and give me an update. I gave him information on potential jobs.
Ironically, the spot where he and I stood to talk had been cordoned off by police less than 24 hours earlier following a shooting where three people were killed by gunshots. One person was the intended target, and two innocent bystanders lost their lives. I am not saying this to bash Baltimore. After all, that is where I work, but what I am trying to highlight is that it is refreshing to see that despite the social issues there, some individuals realize there is a way out of the violence, a way to get a job and get off the streets.
So, my dear reader, I say all this to say that some of us who live in Beltsville are in positions to empower our youth with information on where they can apply for jobs. Some of you may be retired Human Resources experts. It would be nice to approach some of the schools and have a session or two to guide folks in the community on how to create a resume that will yield results. On a wider scale, it would be nice to see if, in 2019, a job fair can be organized at the Beltsville Community Center for jobs in Beltsville. I know that at the recently held National Night Out in Beltsville, the Maryland Department of Transportation was recruiting for a variety of positions.
Football season is on and let me introduce you to my favorite team, the team with a tradition of excellence, a team that has hoisted the Lombardi Trophy six times, a team that should be on record as America’s Team (and not the Dallas Cowboys) by now you should know I am talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Well, I placed a bet with a manager at a Rite Aid I frequent in Baltimore. The deal was that if the Ravens lost to The Steelers he would have to do ten push-ups, but if the Steelers lost, then I would owe him push-ups. Well, I saw him recently in his Rite Aid store, and in front of his customers, I had to do push-ups. I only did five (I do not have the muscles). He wanted ten, but I insisted on five only because as I explained to him, The Steelers did not lose to the Baltimore Ravens, we ran out of time. The clock moved too fast on us. (That, my dear reader, is a good excuse). Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins are looking very good, and hopefully, they make it to the playoffs. I love football, and as a Steelers Fan, win or lose, you will hear my mouth. Lol
As we prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas, please stay safe. Drive safely, do not drink and drive, it is not worth it. I want to challenge you to exercise a bit more too. Let us strive to get healthier in 2019. I want to see you taking nature walks through our parks. Eat healthier food, and if you are up to it, in the spring, you can have a little garden in the back of where you live. No garden, no problem. You can plant one of two things in old cans and watch them grow. That’s all for now folks. Have a safe holiday.