Hurt Village

The Blind Side is the remarkable true story of a young man named Michael Oher who becomes an All-American football star. Mother addicted, father found dead, a dozen or more siblings separated, his own mother couldn't remember his last name, virtually homeless, bouncing from couch to couch never having a bed of his own until he is spotted on the street by Leigh Anne Tuohy. What starts out as a gesture of kindness becomes much more as Michael becomes part of the Tuohy family despite the differences in their backgrounds. What blows me away is how the story ends with Leigh Anne and Michael sitting on the curb of the laundry mat that he frequent when there was no couch available, she asked him how he made it out of (catch this "Hurt Village" the name of the area Michael is from). He said my mother taught him to close his eyes when bad things happened. Michael makes it out but his friend David dies as a result of not making it out of hurt village.

As I sit in my second dark mostly empty theater through this movie for the third time trying to shake the emotional strain of today. I've asked myself the question how does one get out of Hurt Village? Each and everyday their are people who successfully maneuver the trail of tears while other are detoured by the devastation of depression.

Why did Michael make it and David did not? Why did David drop out of school and life and die in the village and Michael become a first round draft choice. One word "Community!" The Tuohy family gave Michael the support, strength and spirit to overcome hurt village. Over and over again Michael was drawn back to hurt village again and again and again. Hurt village can be conquered with the help of loving, understanding, compassionate, caring and Christ-like people. A person present hurt doesn't have to define their future given the right support system.