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The Unbroken Teapot, The Dance of Chief and The Spanish Riddle
Just another day at Potluck. The tale of a significant teapot that made it 25years in a home of hell. The tale of a 10 year old dancer, embracing her aboriginal heritage. And a Spanish Riddle on the chalk board. Potluck employee and Potluck ED, staring at the board adamant to figure it out. All in a days work.
Wouldn't be my last week at Potluck if I did not see at least one Advanced Life Support Ambulance, right?
Home
When I walked into that cafe on my first day here, I could never imagined myself feeling at home there. Firstly, I was utterly overwhelmed by the strange nature of the downtown eastside and secondly, I felt certain I would never be accepted by all these hardworking individuals. For the first few days, I would go over to Lost & Found the cafe opposite and work there. Then slowly, as I started talking to people, I would start to sit in the cafe, just for an hour before I met them, silent and nervous. Then maybe a week after that, I realised it was about time I made the move to grab some food from the counter- as was made clear to me I could do from the beginning. I went over and asked Helen for some soup. I watched her flutter around in her manner and grab me some soup, worrying about who to serve- me or the resident. She served me. But once the resident left, she called me over, gave me a word about next time being sure to come when the resident wasn't there and shouted at me endearingly for walking off without my bread roll. You haven't been at Potluck until you've been yelled at by Helen. From then on, I'd sit in the cafe nearly everyday. Arrive when I want to, leave when I want to. Chat with Joseph. Hear stories fr Brian, laugh with Sandra, be told funny jokes by Drew, be questioned by Jenn, hear great stories from Doris, chat with Robert, hear about Travis's dog, tell Howard about England. Talk with Stacey. Colin strides through and sings every word he speaks, sometimes at about 100mph. All the daunting faces became people. And now, whenever I'm away from Potluck for too long, I am itching to go back. Whenever I get lost (which happens pretty regularly) and I get frustrated I just want to be back at Potluck. It feels like a home away from home. Its like its own mini family, always accepting and always welcoming. Even some of the residents of PHS talk to me now. A lady I remember being terrified of on my first day. A lady with a very brusque tone and manner, I'd seen her shouting at Helen and was worried about Helen (ignorant old me- you don't mess with Helen). She asked me how I was and complimented my dress. Theres a guy in a wheelchair, I see him every Wednesday- 12:30pm, he doesn't say anything, but I know he knows me. And now, I only have 10 days left and I know, that when I am back in England, I'm going to want to run back to Potluck. I'm going to want to run in and ask people questions. I'm going to be homesick.
Practical Jokes
One woman behind the counter.
One woman in front of the counter.
A man sat at a table and chairs, covered in glitter, eating the meal of the day.
The woman in front of the counter: “i love you.... Go on say I love you”
Behind the counter: “I love you”
The woman in front of the counter has her arm is raised to face level.
“HAHAHA, You’re talking to yourself”
I squint. I realise in her hand is a mirror.
The glittery man claps, grins and laughs.
The woman behind the counter smiles. She has been caught out.
What a beautiful practical joke.
This was the view from my meeting the other day with Liz Lougheed-Green, one of the previous executive directors of Potluck. She held a fantastic viewpoint on the idea of social enterprise and had some excellent stories to tell about how Potluck got to where it is today. It really reminds you that every business had a beginning. Potluck has not always looked the way it does now, but one thing that has always remained consistent is their mission.
Learning
I've grown more in 2months at Potluck than in however many years in education. There are a few things I am really learning from people here. 1) Nobody can save the world 2) Listening is the most important part of running a social enterprise. 3) Life and business is all risks and there is no secret formula that anyone is going to reveal to me 4) Self care is essential 5) Perception is beautiful. We all have different voices and different eyes and they are all wonderful. 6) Support, resources and guidance is what people need- not help 7) Alot of people just want their lives to mean something. They want to be loved and they see more to this world than monetary wealth 8) Community does not have to be that which a government official tells you is society 9) We all have the ability to make a change to somebodies life 10) Everything you do is temporary but absolutely important, as you can see through the evolution of Potluck and its movement through ED's
People keep asking me what I have learned since I have been here. And the biggest thing I have learned is the importance and absolute value of individual perspective. I love this image. Because the hands are making up the world, which is the eye. The world is yours. Within that small bubble that feels huge to you. And the world is how you see it. And what interviewing people makes me realise is; is thar there is not one world, but 6 billion worlds (or whatever the population is now). If I was to caption this photo and to capture my time here in one vague statement. I would say 'ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE'
A Second Trip Down East Hastings
Okay. So this is carnegie hall, the hub of the DTES. Which is awesome inside, with libraries and food for $2. On the North side of the street near here, they sell marijuana and cigarettes. On the South side of the street near here, they sell pills. Pigeon Corner. Everything here has bars on it. "Oh hey this is Insite, lets go in" Its a big room, its pretty clean. There is a pot of needles on the desk- make your choice. A couple of guys are sifting through, getting ready for their next hit. I walk into the next room. People are curled up in the fetal position on the floor. Hands curled up. Arms laying limp by their side. Minds flowing down a liquid river.
Today, I had a true Aboriginal Experience. Where I was "smudged". This involved having cedarwood and sage burning and an eagle feather fanning the smoke. I was able to cleanse myself in that and thank 'the creator' and ask him to bless my eyes with good sights, my mouth with speaking the truth, my ears with good listening, my heart with kindness, my arms and fingers with good work and my legs with good movement. If anyone tries to tell you Canada lacks in culture. Take a walk down East Hastings. Look harder and look properly. Because this place is beautiful and this place is thriving.
So, I had some time by myself at Potluck and I felt inclined to take some photos of the place while I had the chance. I personally think the photos tell a really great story.
Innovation, Sustainability, Collaboration, Acceptance, Leadership, Excellence
Why Social Enterprise?
I hope that I get to spend the rest of my life so excited to go to work. I really hope I spend nearly everyday of my life learning something new. And I hope that the work collegues and connections I make are as meaningful and unsuperficial as the people I have met here.
Being at Potluck has really restored my faith in the positive aspects of human nature. It sounds dramatic, but hey, what else is a blog for. My perspective on the world and the meaning of life, well my life, seems to be becoming clearer to me. My understanding of my own values, cultural and individual get clearer everytime I get the opportunity to talk to someone new. I have reviews with Colin (the executive director) and I don't feel stressed or roll my eyes (maybe when the alarm goes at 8am, I groan a little) but instead I'm like 'yay cool, lets sit down and chat about all the exciting data I have collected this week'.
I twiddle my fingers and pace a bit before each interview, nervous and like 'oh god, what if it goes badly, what if I say something stupid' then next thing I know, it has been an hour and I have learned/typed up a whole new perspective on the world.
The people I interview, look at me, they listen, and they understand more about me from a first impression than some people have the empathetic ability to gauge in months worth of coffee dates.
Just to lighten that up a little- someone said to me on my second week here 'you strike me as the kind of person who has to run for the bus'- how funny is that- I ALWAYS end up running for the bus, and here, I run for the bus on the wrong side of the road!!
On my first day, Colin cheerily told me 'you'll learn being down here that people who have the least give the most' and I don't think I have ever heard anything truer. That is not to say the people on the street on Potluck buy me gifts and give me cheap rent or whatever materialistic crap we want. But what they do give me is faith and moral support. There is not a day that goes by when they don't say hello, and most days they tell me my dress is nice. Of course they ask me for change, but when I say no, they wish me a good day. They give me good will and they give me what gets them through- which is positivity and community.
Potluck Is...
H- hope A- acceptance P- people P- perserverance I- inspiration N- new ideas E- empathy S- support S- small successes
Street art.
‘Everything is going to be alright’
Something many people will find difficult to believe, but Potluck helps to achieve. Not perfect. But alright.
Victory Square says it best.
Recognition
Standing at the bus stop, the bus was late. I’m starting to get grumpy. I just want a cup of tea.
“Nice dress, where you from?”
I turn around and I am shocked at how close this guy has got to me without me realising.
“You look like the perfect German, blonde, blue eyes”
“I’m from England”
Inside I’m thinking, please take a step away, you’ve gotten a bit close to me. I really want the bus to come, I seriously don’t want to talk to you.
“England, thats cool, me too, what are you doing here?”
Blunt response, “I’m working”
No social gage, he is still excited, this conversation isn’t ending anytime soon.
“Oh wow, how cool, where are you working?”
“Potluck, you know, just round the corner on Hastings”
“Man, no way, the place by PHS? Great food, I love that place. Such good food. I love it, bringing community together, thats important.”
A huge fist suddenly appears in front of me, I curl my fingers into a little ball and ‘fist pump’.
“Right on, have fun here, I live at the shelter over there. Man I love Potluck”
Just like that- he is gone.
Main Street, Street Art.
Have faith.