The Zoo!!

In organizing trips for the clients of Safe Haven, the Phoenix Zoo offers a very discounted rate for groups with mental illnesses.  We loaded up a van full of the most severely mentally ill indiviuals at Safe Haven and headed for the Zoo.  We chose the individuals that need the most help, because this trip can actually help to change someones life.  Was I nervous about the trip?  OF COURSE.  But like most of my encounters with these individuals, I am always proved wrong as they exceed my expectations. 

On the van ride over to the zoo, one of the clients began ranting about some very racists stuff.  I thought for sure that this would end in a fight, which it almost did, but everyone stayed cool, except for the one who started it.  I was nervous for the families that would inevitably be there that might need to deal with banter like that when we got there.  We pulled up to the front gates and the attitude of the whole van changed.  They were excited.  And I would venture to guess that most of these people (men and women) don't get excited very often, at least not in positive or constructive ways.  It was very cool to see these people, smile and start to joke with each other. 

We went into the zoo to the stingray exhibit.  It is pretty cool; you get to pet stingrays in a big tank of water.  Some of the clients wanted to, and others didn't.  As we moved toward the Arizona exhibit, we wandered into a large big exhibit.  All of the clients were standing along the fence, looking with curious eyes at this massive bird.  It was a cool moment for me because these people may have never been to a zoo before and they were behaving and acting just like they should.  They stayed on the paths and did not kidnap any children.  All in all I thought it was a very successful trip to the zoo.