Leviticus or Palancas I Should Have Written or Things I Probably Shouldn't Say But Am Saying Anyway

So this year I sent home an entire group of 15 year olds home with the lesson that if a guy has an improper discharge, he's unclean for seven days.

Yeah...it's just too easy sometimes.

Antioch 2008: You Gotta F*ing Be Kidding Me.

I can't believe I'm still there. Something like thirteen years now, ain't that something?

We had another great group of kids this year. Another group I'm ridiculously pleased with. Another group I hope returns more than a few kids.

It's different now than it used to be, the kids are different, they do things differently. They interact, and fight, and hold grudges differently.

They hurt me differently.

I love them just the same.

I can't always say the things I want to say to them. Sometimes it is just tough, and sometimes it would be foolish.

But I still want to say these things...even if no one will ever see it.

To That End...Here Are The Palancas I Should Have Written:

Mike...Mike and I are a little bit a like. We both think really stupid shit on a fairly constant basis. I've just got ten years more practice at not saying that stupid shit. Mike and I would have been best friends if we had gone to high school together. I can just tell. He's what I would call a great guy in the making...he's not quite there yet, but when he grows up a little more...he'll be a great guy.

Alyssa D. ... Mike is an unfathomably lucky guy to have a girl as great as Alyssa. She's nice, funny, and fun to be around. She's just a cool kid. Plus she is constantly busting my chops...which means she's pretty nervy too.

Nicole... I don't know Nicole very well even though she's been around awhile, but I do know she is always on top of shit. Never complains about anything that she has to do, always makes sure things are getting done. She never seems to have to ask any questions, she's always just ready. It's a trait I admire very much in people, and I certainly admire Nicole very much for it.

Collette...I can't say enough good things about Collette. She's just a really special person, and though I can tell she struggles sometimes, I have no doubt she's not just going to be ok in the end...she's going to be great.

Kelsey...Another one I can't say enough great things about. Kelsey is a very special kid. Someday she'll be a very special woman. I worry about some of these kids sometimes, and I worry about Kelsey too, just not as much. I just can't imagine Kelsey not becoming something great. Like a lot of these kids she has a lot working against her, but unlike some of these kids she just seems equipped to overcome. She's a person I like a whole hell of a lot from a family I like a whole hell of a lot. Just good people.

Jacqueline... It still boggles my mind that Jacqueline is the little girl I used to see in the house whenever I visited an old friend when I was younger. She is just a top notch person, and the fact that after knowing her for so many years I finally have gotten to know her a little better in the past year is just an added bonus.

Alyssa M. ... I am so proud of the job Alyssa did this weekend. She's almost like a throwback to the old teams. She would have fit in so well with them that it's almost a shame she never got the chance. She was our only new team member this year, but she fit in so perfectly that it wasn't even noticeable. I can't tell you how many times I totally forgot this was her first year on team. That alone tells you something.

Adriana... I love this kid. I mean, I love all these kids, but particularly her. If my little sister turns out half as good as this girl, I'd be ridiculously pleased. She's always got so much going on though, I constantly find myself feeling bad that she's upset over something that no one really could have controlled. She's a tough kid though. I don't just think she'll be fine, I know she'll be fine. And I hope she knows that if she ever needs anything...I'm right here.

Rickey... The fact that I don't see Rickey outside of Antioch more is a god damn tragedy. I'm never really sure how Rick squares with a lot of people, but he's always been a good guy in my estimation. Being around Rick is like having an extra brother around, and not just an extra brother, but an extra brother who is also really really cool.

Michelle...I don't have to say anything about Michelle. I've said it all before, and I'm sure I'll say it all again.





I'm not the type to do something just because everyone tells me to do it. So when I say that I love these kids, it's not because I feel obligated to say that...it's because I need to say that. Because I really need them to know.

And as a final postscript: I don't know where I'll be for Antioch 2009. I like to think I'd be right there with my team. But I'm not sure. Not sure if I'll be anywhere. I've been pretty sick pretty often lately. And tonight in Applebees I caught a spell and my nose began to bleed almost immediately. It was scary. Not because it hasn't happened before, but because it doesn't happen right in front of everybody very often.

I'm a little nervous.

That's a lilttle new.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

But for now...another one in the books, another great one if you ask me.

Love you all.

Travel Well.