Community Inclusion

Seth was having a challenging day. When Tammy (his program manager) arrived we could hear him shouting, and Lee was patiently standing to the side. ?Give us two minutes,? he said. We stepped outside and Lee joined us a few minutes later. ?We can do this another day if this is a bad time,? I offered. ?No, he?s been looking forward to this all morning. Just let him get himself calmed down,? Lee said. He explained that Seth?s new DVD player had broken and Seth was very upset about it. But he was confident Seth would bring himself under control. ?Five minutes ? he?ll get it together.?

Sure enough, Seth came out with that big grin of his, ran up to shake my hand and gave me a little hug. We all went back into his apartment and the conversation began.

One thing was clear from the beginning. These are two different people from the men I spoke with three months ago. Their relationship is deeper, their view of the world is bigger, and their feelings about the Make a Difference workshop are strong. ?What Seth did to bring himself under control this morning says more about what he?s accomplished through the class than anything,? Lee remarked.

You?ll remember from our first story about Seth and Lee that they began the workshop with Seth already a big part of his community, and they took off with many new adventures through the holidays and beyond. Expecting to hear more of that, I was surprised to learn that they had backed off a bit. ?Seth?s a processor. He let us know pretty clearly that he was doing too much and wasn?t having enough time to process through everything.? Lee went on to tell me how much of their work together has been on fine tuning all the social nuances that Seth has to navigate as he becomes more deeply involved in his community. Seth is learning to feel comfortable staying in a group for longer periods of time, having the confidence to communicate his thoughts in larger groups and understanding how friendships work. It?s clear from both of them that the last few months have been just as dramatic as the first few months, but in small ways that have huge payoffs.

That isn?t to say they don?t have plans! ?We?re getting ready for summer ? Seth loves summer!? Lee chuckles, and Seth?s grin gets even bigger if that?s possible. They?re looking for a new living situation for Seth ? a smaller complex that feels more home-like. And it has to have a pool. Seth loves to swim. His mom has a pool and they spend hours together in the water when he visits. He?s also a regular at the YMCA ? several of them actually!

Seth continues to develop his relationships with the fire fighters he met during the winter. He often sees them when he?s out having a meal or shopping, as well as when he stops by the station. ?Seth enjoys being around active people that are his age,? Lee says. ?He?s made that very clear to us lately.? 

Both men want to continue the friendships they?ve developed in the Make a Difference Workshop. They?ve become particularly close with John and Ramsay, and they both want the group to continue in some fashion. It has become a place of growth and safety and inspiration that they value immensely.

At the time we spoke, the primary focus of their time and effort was geared towards getting prepared for the Community Summit in Wenatchee. They are presenting the video they created about their journey with Make a Difference and they?re both really excited about it. Communicating to a large group, sitting on a panel for an extended time, traveling so far in a car ? all these things are difficult for Seth. They are facing this challenge the way they?ve faced all the others ? with determination and hard work, and lots and lots of patience!

Both Seth and Lee and John and Ramsay were part of the Make a Difference panel at the Community Summit in Wenatchee on June 17th. It was an exciting experience for all of them!

Everyone did an amazing job presenting their journeys to a standing-room-only crowd. The audience enjoyed every minute, and all left feeling inspired and motivated to carry the program forward. What a terrific way to cap off the workshops!

Please watch the video that Seth and Lee produced about their journey. You can find it on YouTube at #http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lbFnPYoaz4 or by searching ?Seth Lee Make a Difference.?