Consequences

Last week I received this message in response to one of my Sapelo Island posts:

Hey Jason , your articles and pictures are great, and I do not see any information about the people that made the trip availiable. I think that would be great support for Tony Coppage Associates and Ayide Summers.

Tony is right. I failed to mention the two men whose tireless efforts made the trip to Sapelo Island possible--Mr. Tony Coppage and Mr. Ayinde Summers. The literacy program at Grady High School simply does not work without them. They are true leaders in our community.

When you have 20 teenagers who read at a 5th grade level and are repeatedly failing the same classes year after year, chances are that it's more than just a lack of literacy skills that are contributing to their delinquency. Often, the kids' character is also failing. This is where Tony and Ayinde stepped in with character-building exercises, the high ropes course and, finally, a camping trip to Sapelo Island. The kids craved positive influences who were real, honest and accessible. Never once did Tony and Ayinde let them down.

I did not intend to slight these two men who, in only a month's time, became like brothers to me. Instead, I made a conscious decision to write stories about the kids and also my experiences. I knew that I was devoting much of the film about the literacy program to Tony and Ayinde and thus paying them their much due credit and respect. What I didn't anticipate was it taking this damn long to edit and produce a short film. However, it is almost done. Like 97% done.

Tony's website is here. If you reach out to him, chances are that Ayinde will be in tow. They can ably lead you or your class, work group or family in all kinds of team building and adventure learning trips and exercises in and outside of classrooms. Tony and Ayinde are former Outward Bound instructors who have traveled the world learning from and working with kids and adults alike. They taught me that every action introduces a consequence. And that my character is made by the choices that I make and my willingness to accept the consequences of them, good or bad. Apparently, it's a lesson that I'm still learning.