Notes From the Road

GuruGanesha and Krishan with one of the students of the S811 school in the Bronx, New York.

GuruGanesha and Krishan get the whole room full of kids singing.

One of the students and teachers at the school.

Raphael dances.

Raphael takes the microphone to give GuruGanesha a break.

S 811 School
Bronx, NY
3/16/06


S-811 in the Bronx is a school that provides education and life skills training for kids with special needs so that they can make their way in the world. These kids are mentally or physically disabled in such a way that prevents them from going to regular schools. Kids are bussed in from all over Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan to come to this school because Federal funding is very limited and there are not many schools like this available in the area. We visited last year, and I was very touched by the love and light that poured from these kids. We were scheduled to visit them on Thursday, March 16th, but I got sick and wasn’t able to make it. Fortunately GuruGanesha and Krishan were able to go and had a great time. They shared with me some of the experiences.

GuruGanesha got the kids really chanting and singing with songs like “I am who I am that is that” (from Game of Chants by Guru Singh). The kids loved singing the words “I am, I am.” He did a rap version of “Happiness runs in a circular motion.” Many of the kids sang and clapped exuberantly with the music.

In GuruGanesha’s own words, “These children live in pure love and joy. People refer to them as mentally challenged. But they sang, chanted, danced, and responded to the music with total joy and exuberance, leading me to conclude that they are the only people on the planet who are not mentally challenged.”

In the words of Krishan, “They live with a lot more joy and happiness then most people do.”

One of the kids, Raphael, calls me “Grace”, because last year we gave each of the kids my album which is entitled “Grace.” At the end of the program Raphael took the microphone and said, “Even though Grace was sick, and we missed her very much, we are really happy that GuruGanesha and Krishan came.”

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