Weekend update

Well, this is a week late, but here goes.

The weekend of Feb 4-6, I visited Emmaus Ministries in Chicago. Here's the short story of the weekend:
On Friday, I had a couple interviews. I'm applying for a job there: they have a program called the Kaio community. I'd be living and working there for a year. They work with male prostitutes. If you want more details about them, you can check out their website. Friday night, we went out to just experience what life is like there. My partner and I went to a couple of gay bars, since we were the only ones there for the weekend that were over 21. She talked with a guy named Tony most of the night, and I played pool with Tu. It was an interesting night. Saturday, we got a tour of Uptown, the neighborhood that Emmaus is based. That night for dinner, we ate in the ministry center with the guys. The ministry center is where male prostitutes can come and get a shower or do laundry. They have a meal there for dinner, then a Bible study. We joined them for dinner. That night, Ben, on of the guys currently in the Kaio community, shared the story of his time there.
On Sunday, I went to church with Andi and Al, two of the other staff members. They're both really neat. Then I took the train home.

It was a really awesome weekend. Right now, I'm waiting to hear back from them.

The Power of Make-Believe

What place does an active imagination have in adult life?
The current issue of Time magazine has an article about how imaginary friends can help kids develop healthy relationships with others later in life. They learn coping and communication skills.
One mother commented about how her daughter's imaginary friend is a reality check: "There were times when I would ask Quinn [her daughter] what she was thinking about, and she would say 'Oh, I was just thinking about how Elfie-Welfie [Quinn's imaginary friend] smiles all the time' And, sure enough, I'd been having a rough day and grumbling around"
I've grown up believing that adults can't have imagination be part of their life. Authors of fiction still use their imaginations this way. Is an imaginary world an unhealthy escape, or a healthy way learning about the world, a place to practice social skills?

Hmm...
Thoughts as I go off to bed