Motivation 

 … is a shy, illusive, and wily lass, who requires an established collection of circumstances before she deigns to show her face. Once engaged, however, she is a tenacious, innovative, persistent and resourceful spirit, as well as invaluable asset who will toil tirelessly until the task is completed.

Motivation can be driven by many things, however, she is not, and frankly can never be, forcibly stimulated through external coercion or control. She resides naturally inside each being and arises for purely personal objectives. Those distinct goals, nevertheless, need not be singular or isolated from other individuals' aspirations. Working together toward one common aim is, in fact, one of those previously mentioned conditions.

Society has tried and failed to reign her in and place her under the dictates of establishment's rules. She is, nonetheless, immune to intimidation and harassment. Some would call her stubborn and a few even have the gall to label her lazy. She goes where she pleases and only where she feels the most welcome.

She has discovered that she prefers to inhabit completely safe, friendly, and inspiring environments surrounded by the hum of creativity, kindness, and respect. She is nurtured by confidence, curiosity, and compassion and she actively seeks out affirmation and validation (see last week's post), as well as mutual benefits. External rewards, however, are not the leading instigator in the effort she puts forth.

Motivation has burst forth within us all, at one time or another --- those moments of emotional well being, when everything aligns perfectly and it appears that you can take on the world, complete any task put before you, and have energy to burn at the end of the day. The sensations of accomplishment, pride, and satisfaction are, truly, like no other and are what sustain and encourage Motivation to perpetuate her efforts and extend her sojourn to take up permanent residence for the long haul.

*This post, while with a wee touch of whimsy, is inspired by a few stories from this past   week, but in particular by a couple of new student members from Ogdensburg. They           completely, on their own, (without our knowledge) contacted WWNY TV in Watertown,       via email, to ask if DRC could have a commercial made that would air at the end of       each newscast. They have independently engaged in back and forth communication
with a producer from the station.

Their reasoning is two-fold – (a) they want to find a reliable ride for eight kids from               Ogdensburg to Canton and back because the SLC Public Transport has a fairly
ridiculous schedule (either ride for 2 hours early in the morning or take a later direct
route that arrives in Canton around 11:15 and turn around to leave at 1:20pm). (b) They       also want to spread the word about their positive experiences at DRC to find financial           backing for our Fee Reduction Program.

To put this particular story in perspective, one of these girls is currently on probation for truancy. She absolutely refused to go to school …. Draw your own conclusions on this one!



DRC NEWS


We are absolutely delighted to announce that André Lynch has joined the DRC staff as our Educational Program Director. André is currently a SLU Graduate student who received his Bachelor Degree from SUNY Canton. (You will have the opportunity to learn more about him from an interview by the DRC kids, which will be featured in this week's Tuesday Profile.)


He has taken on the fun (time consuming) tasks of reviving and creating the class schedule, facilitating several of those classes, and recruiting more volunteers, who will teach, hang out with the kids, as well as mentor some of our youth.


André will be at the Center M-W, 8–12 and Th, 12-4. Please stop in any time to meet him and possibly offer your services as a volunteer.




DRC Population Explosion Continues

You are probably curious as to why we have hired a new staff person this late in the academic year, in three words – twenty-two student members (and counting)! In the last month, we have grown at the rate of one - two new kids each week (last week it was four)!


Transportation

As mentioned in the credits for this post, eight of those new students are from the Ogdensburg area. They are looking for consistent and reliable transportation from the 'Burg and back M-Th. If you know of someone who has a large van and would be willing to drive them for gas money, please get in touch.

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