New Jersey Update: The Long Story

~As many of you know Skatelife was headed down to New Jersey to serve another skateboard community. As we got to the border and enthusiastically shared how we were going to volunteer for a similar non-profit organization we were given some shocking news. We were being denied access into the States because part of our volunteerism included fixing ramps, which is manual labour and a “threat to American jobs”. To no avail we explained our volunteer status and that if we don’t go serve no one else will, but after getting finger printed and mug shots, we got the boot. While we were explaining ourselves we did have a flicker of hope as another border crossing guard overheard that we were Young Life volunteers. He said how he also volunteered with Young Life. So for a brief second we thought he might vouch for us, but alas, the mug shots.

The next day Joel and I decided to go to a friend’s play at the Stone Church (made famous by a recent Soirée). After the play, Joel looks at me and points out a familiar face, “Is that the Young Life volunteer from the border?” In mockery I explain to Joel how he would have been an American and that there is no way that it is him. It was to crazy not know and Joel, in his raw tact, made that security guard as uncomfortable as you could possibly imagine with a single question: “Hey, do you work at the border?"