I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Today, we’re celebrating another ¤ JohnnyO Gratitude Day! ¤

Today, I get to write a story about John to celebrate Gratitude Day.

Last Thursday, I got to talk with our most generous contributing poet to under1000skies.org, John Olander (“Johnny O”). We speak every Thursday morning, and I write down what he’s been up to that week. He inspires and amazes me every week with his accomplishments, connections, and passion for helping others. These weekly notes will eventually become his memoir.

While we spoke early on Thursday morning, John told me he was picking up trash in the park across from his apartment.

“You know what?” John said. I could hear the smile in his voice. “Today is Day 1333 of my sobriety. When I was homeless, I used to pick up trash like this in parks and at bus stations. I always said the same prayer when I did it. ‘Thank you, Spirit, for letting me serve you. I know it’s going to get better.’”

He was quiet for a long moment, and when he spoke again, I heard the emotion in his voice. “And it did get better.”

Last week, John was the MC for a monthly “Open Mic” Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver, which he does every month. He is on the board of several Denver service communities, including SAME (So All May Eat) Café, where he was a customer just a few years ago because he was still living on the street. He took a co-worker without a vehicle to court and took a day off to help him. He hosts writing groups, one co-hosted by Matt Salis, his mentor from SAME, called SHOUT Sobriety.

John is working to get school plant towers so all children can have fresh fruits and vegetables. When he was homeless, he got 20 percent of the signatures on the petition, which led to the law that made that possible.

Those are just a few of the projects John is working on. I look forward to our weekly calls because I always hear something uplifting. John began contributing poetry to under1000skies.org in 2017. Three years later, he made the decision that completely changed his life. His prayer and his optimism were answered. Today, he’s being interviewed by one of the radio shows in Denver.

I’m so grateful we met. John has always been a bright light, but now he is a beacon for many others.

♥ Niki Flow

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Originally posted here: John’s Story