I had a chance to do something really cool last week. The Downtown YMCA in Birmingham (2400 7th Ave. N. / Across from Marconi Park) does a Career Speaker Program every Friday afternoon at 4pm.
The gist of the event is pretty cut and dry. You get up and talk for about 10 minutes about what it is you do for a living. And then you turn around and take questions from the children for about 10 minutes. Then for 10 minutes you eat Domino’s Pizza’s and drink cheap soda.
The children in attendance range from 5th-8th grade and they are all from Birmingham’s inner city, many have over come extraordinary circumstances to get to where they are now. Things ranging from sexual abuse, drug addicted parents, to being raised in the state’s foster care system.
Asst. Program Director, Ryan Waguespack’s goal is to simply expose inner city children to a multitude of career choices to better open their minds to the many positive avenues that await them on the other side of adolescence. Hearing this from people that work, live — and in most of our cases — grew up in the same neighborhoods as these children can impact them more. Ryan has been catching hell trying to get people in every Friday to speak to these children. It perplexes me that Ryan can’t get people in to speak to these children. If I told you some of the names he’s given me that he’s emailed that either shunned him or simply did not reply you’d scratch your head in confusion.
Your occupation is irrelevant. Doesn’t matter if you’re a model, rapper, banker, TV Personality, radio DJ, or Carpet Cleaner. 2 Weeks ago a garbage man from the Dept. of Sanitation went to speak to the children.
When it comes to pulling heartstrings we all like to think that the cause we champion is the most important and get offended if others don’t get in line with us. I’m not approaching any of you from that angle. We all do what we can when we can. And hey, maybe you already do something that contributes to the betterment of the Earth and you don’t feel the need to jump in with what Ryan is doing.
I completely understand.
All I’m saying is, If you’re free on a Friday at 4pm. Or can take a late lunch at work one day, go and do this. Give Ryan a call or send him an e-mail and let him know that you’re interested in giving him 30 minutes of your time (20 minutes if you don’t like Domino’s Pizza)
Ryan Waguespack (Don’t try to pronounce it. I couldn’t either. I just asked for ‘Ryan’)
YMCA Youth Center Downtown
2400 7th Ave. North
205-901-4393
E-mail: ryanwagu@aol.com
Holla. Wood, Jr.
“I do good stuff with my life too. The problem is, none of that shit’s funny, so I can’t talk about it on stage.” — Doug Stanhope
