DEUCE Community Update: November 2024
At DEUCE, we often refer to ourselves as ‘movement optimists.’ I love this term because it illuminates what is possible, evoking hope and promise.
Lately, I have been reflecting quite a bit on ‘human optimism’ or taking people for all they could be rather than a piece of their history or one aspect of themselves.
“Human optimism is choosing to see the infinite potential inside of every person, despite their history or current state. When the world is viewed through this lens, literally anything becomes possible.”
It is easy to admit that we are not finished products. We all hold older versions of ourselves that we’ve transcended. However, in practice, applying empathy and transcribing this framework to others can be challenging.
There is no more straightforward way to say it than…
If this is true for you and me, it is also true for everyone else.
Human optimism argues that there is no end to the process of becoming; there is no limit to what we can make ourselves into. While it can be somewhat difficult to imagine, dare to believe for a second that this is real for you. Now apply it to everyone, including the people you dislike…
I’m inspired by the words of Viktor Frankl,
“If you propose in this man… that there must be a spark of search for meaning. Let’s recognize this. Let’s presuppose it. And then you will elicit it from him, and you will make him become what he, in principle, is capable of becoming.”
Frankl more than dared to be an optimist about what humanity was capable of. After living through the most horrendous inhumanity of the 20th century, he still challenged the world to idealistically promote man to what he could be rather than to take him at his worst.
We would all do well to notice Frankl’s steadfast integrity in believing in the potential of the human race.
Society tells us to take the road most frequently traveled, to take the worst behavior of someone as evidence of the failing of their character and the superiority of our own. We are constantly told to view humanity from a pessimistic lens.
“The systemic belief in the inherent limitations of humanity has manifested our current reality. The only way out of this situation is to reverse how we choose to look at others.”
If you opened this article, you think differently. I would urge you to continue to do so and to take inventory of how you might be looking at the worst in a person or group of people rather than imagining their greatest expression.
On maximum security units, unspoken pieces of etiquette are always adhered to.
For example, if you are a ‘short-timer,’ and by that, I mean if you don’t have a life sentence, you won’t bring up parole or complain about your time around those in less fortunate circumstances.
The intensity of the environment forces a level of situational and emotional awareness that we do not often see outside of prison.
I am not arguing that we escalate social consequences to be on par with what I experienced during my incarceration. I do, however, notice myself falling short of the etiquette I once adhered to. As I reflect on this,
“I find myself wondering what the world would be like if we practiced empathy as if it really mattered to us.”
What if the stakes were higher- would we still speak and act in the same way? I have been trying to view my words and actions through this lens recently. Not because I miss prison but because I find that I like myself a lot more when I hold myself to that standard.
None of our work is possible outside of an environment where we can provide safety, love, accountability, and mentorship. That’s why we committed to providing our students housing and wrap-around services near DEUCE’s primary campus in Venice.
One hundred percent of students who have been housed with us in the last 18 months reported DEUCE Community having a transformational impact on their lives. Our program retention rate nearly tripled when we opened up housing.
We’ve been able to keep the housing program up and running through generous support, personal investment, and a well-timed miracle or two.
Currently, we are about eighteen hundred dollars in recurring donations away from making our housing program fully self-sustaining. This would be the first step towards expanding housing and the number of beds we offer.
November 2 at 12:15 p.m. | Street Cleanup at DEUCE Gym 110 Lincoln Blvd
Every Friday at 5:00 p.m. | Sober Workout with Coach Joe @ 5:00 PM 110 Lincoln Blvd
Every Saturday at 1:00 p.m. | Community Workout at DEUCE Gym @ 110 Lincoln Blvd, email campbell@deucecommunity.org
Every Last Thursday of the Month | Community Dinner at 2603 23rd Street, Santa Monica, email joseph@deucegym.com to RSVP
Every Last Saturday of the Month | Street Cleanup at 12:00 PM DEUCE Gym 110 Lincoln Blvd
The Amazon Prime packages that show up on the porch of the DEUCE Community House mean more to these guys than you can possibly imagine. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.