“My father left our family when I was two years old. The first time I remember seeing him, he was on the other end of a phone at the jail. I grew up angry. I was determined that when I had a family, I was going to be there. So when my marriage ended in divorce, I was devastated. It took me three years to get back on my feet, to believe I could be useful again, to believe that God would forgive me, and to forgive myself. When I finally stabilized and got married again, I was resolved that my children were going to see that you can make mistakes in life, but you can recover, you can get back on track. My kids are with me every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and I pick them up for Bible class every Wednesday. We're involved in a lot of activities together. In life, you’re going to disappoint yourself and other people. It’s just going to happen, but whatever the mistake is: own it, fix it, and move on. That’s what I want my children to know. That’s what I want all young people to know. If you’ve been going in the wrong direction, you can make a change. It doesn’t have to be the end.
“Memphis needs people who believe that change can happen, not just in our own lives but also in our city. I think the younger generation is tired of following people who are bitter and angry. They want hope; they want to know that better things are possible, no matter what has happened in the past. One of the ways I’m trying to pour positive energy into Memphis is through writing plays. Our next production (June 18, 6pm at the Cannon Center) is called Mr. Provider and asks the question: Why does the good guy get overlooked? It’s about a man who’s trying to take care of his family, who’s trying to be there, but everybody takes him for granted and pays attention to his brother instead. The brother has 4 babies he’s not paying child support for and he doesn’t have a job, but since he’s funny and fun to be around, everybody celebrates him and ignores the guy who’s trying to do right. A good man can feel invisible in his own family and in the community. We have to do better than that. We’ve got to show kids what real men look like. We’ve got to stop acting like the kids to impress the kids; we need to give them something to live up to. Let’s redefine manhood as being responsible, leading the way, and being selfless. When you have strong, healthy-thinking young men, you have strong families and you change our community for the better. Young guys are looking for a place to fit in and for people to look up to. We need to give them that. When we start believing that Memphis can be great, we’ll start acting like it, and when we start acting like it, we’ll start creating it.”
“Memphis needs people who believe that change can happen, not just in our own lives but also in our city. I think the younger generation is tired of following people who are bitter and angry. They want hope; they want to know that better things are possible, no matter what has happened in the past. One of the ways I’m trying to pour positive energy into Memphis is through writing plays. Our next production (June 18, 6pm at the Cannon Center) is called Mr. Provider and asks the question: Why does the good guy get overlooked? It’s about a man who’s trying to take care of his family, who’s trying to be there, but everybody takes him for granted and pays attention to his brother instead. The brother has 4 babies he’s not paying child support for and he doesn’t have a job, but since he’s funny and fun to be around, everybody celebrates him and ignores the guy who’s trying to do right. A good man can feel invisible in his own family and in the community. We have to do better than that. We’ve got to show kids what real men look like. We’ve got to stop acting like the kids to impress the kids; we need to give them something to live up to. Let’s redefine manhood as being responsible, leading the way, and being selfless. When you have strong, healthy-thinking young men, you have strong families and you change our community for the better. Young guys are looking for a place to fit in and for people to look up to. We need to give them that. When we start believing that Memphis can be great, we’ll start acting like it, and when we start acting like it, we’ll start creating it.”
Watch the trailer for the play:
Terrell Monger is employed by International Paper and serves as a pastor for One Accord Ministries. He is the author of several books and plays.
Websites ---
Websites ---
- Mr. Provider: http://mr-provider.com
- Inspire Memphis: http://inspirememphis.com
- With 1 Accord: http://with1accord.com