As a camp counselor, we are trained to say we do not have favorites. I will say now, I do not have a favorite, if I had to guess, I'd say I have between 50 and 100 "favorites" at this point. But in addition to those 50-100, there are several hundred that I love, that I would do absolutely anything for, that I care for more than I care for myself, and that have had a lasting effect on me.

But before I found my passion for working with children I was a shell of a person. I was impatient, irritable, and most importantly I was just barely keeping my head above water. I lived, and breathed, and for all intents and purposes, I was "alive", but I quickly realized that I had never lived.

Not until I met *Jimmy.

*Jimmy had a reputation that preceded him. He was known for having a terrible temper, explicit language, and a proponence for violence (not too unlike myself in my teens).