Vincennes Lincoln High School

Title: Vincennes Lincoln High School
Location: Vincennes, IN
Description: Assembly (Private Event)
Date: 2009-05-04

Today was definitely one of those days when my own motto of  “keep moving forward” was put to a good test! First, our GPS lady took Larry and I to a location that WAS supposed to be Vincennes Lincoln High School, but was in fact, in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully we were not running late, so we circled around a couple of times and then decided to ask a jogger for directions. I think we scared him. lol He gave us a pretty weird look. I’m guessing that there aren’t too many high schools  in Vincennes. 🙂

When we finally found our way to the school, we encountered some unforeseen set-up difficulties that sent us running to the local Walmart. I was getting tense, wondering if we’d have to start the assembly late. (I really, really don’t like to be late!) Good thing that Walmart was not even 5 minutes down the road so I was still able to set up in time to face a VERY energetic crowd. You guys were wired! I kept thinking, “Is today Friday? The day before summer vacation? This group is AMPED!” Turns out it was none of those things; apparently you all were just really happy to be out of class for an hour. Hopefully it was an hour well spent. 🙂

I enjoyed meeting all of you and especially Blake, Jonetta, the Senior girls who were our greeters and the art teacher with all those sisters – hope they enjoy the book! A big thanks to Mr. Parsley for bringing me in – hopefully he’ll have me back in a few years.

love, peace and hair grease!

6 Comments

  1. Hi there, Ben! You were at my school today giving your motivational speech/presentation for our convocation. I have to say, you really moved me with your presentation. Your chalk painting was so beautiful and the speech you did made me think about my life and where I’m going with it. I honestly think you’ve encouraged me to try harder my next year of high school. When you put the ugly mark on the painting, I sort of got upset because I honestly didn’t expect that at all. The way you changed it though, made it something beautiful and added it in so wonderfully. It really made me think, I appreciate you coming to our school and sharing your story with us. I had so much fun, you were a riot. I hope you get to come back in later years, possibly give my little brother that pep talk you gave to all of us. It was a shame I didn’t get to talk, I wish I would have. I hope you had a pleasant day, Ben, I know I did.

  2. hey ben! you are amazing! thank you so much for coming and telling your story and talking to me and what not! i just about bawled my eyes out because your story is so much like mine! and you put things in a way i could understand alot better than anybody else could! i guess its because we are both “special” lol. and you understand things the way i do! people never understand me at all! and they can never like explain most things in a way i can understand but you made it so easy to understand! you really touched my life! i am going to try alot harder at everything i do! and another way we are alike is we are both good at art lol. it runs in my family. lol those soap operas are funny! oh sorry my grandma is watching days of our lives or whatever its called and yah! i got a little distracted. i could have deleted that and nobody would have ever known but yah i dont kno im weird! lol but thats ok because weird is fun!!! my grandma is telling me to get off the computer for tonight but yah i will definatly finish this comment some time soon. lol. but yah thank you so much you have really changed my life!!!!!!!!!! these next words are probably going to sound awkward but yah lol I LOVE YOU!!! but as like a brother lol. well yah i will finish this later so yah i will be in touch! hopefully. lol yah. =)

  3. Heya ben! Great show ya put on yesterday.. Almost wish I’d have seen you about a year or two ago before I figured most of what you said out for myself.. Sure would have made my life alot easier. Gotta say though, seeing all that, hearing your story, well, it’s come as a reminder of what i’ve already set out to do for myself. Never back down! Never give up! Work to make something out of yourself! I’ve been getting lazy recently and I gotta remind myself what’s important. Thanks for the refresher, and I’m so very glad I got the chance to see the world’s most epic chalk artist! Also.. surprised you didn’t see the bird that was flying around the room, hehe, a bird got in and i couldn’t stop looking at it. (By the way.. apparantly i have all the symptoms of ADD without the lack of focus.. heh, I am that guy in the freezer section of walmart laughing about nothing lol)
    Stay epic, stay funny, and take things easy

  4. hey ben, i really love your presentation or show my sister is adhd i see what your talking about and i got a friend that is too. i think these people are just normal like everyone else but like god says everyone is different. i love ur painting it was so beatiful. i wish i bought your book but i didnt have any money. well keep giving a good show and make it better each time. i thought you was funny too. well i will talk to u later.

  5. Great presentation, I’ve got to say you were the best act I have ever seen when it comes to assemblies and speakers visiting LHS. Everyone was so confused “chalk guy? who?” and most of us had no idea what to expect, but man your method of reaching out to people and expressing yourself was amazing. The chalk drawing was such a clever and effective way to support the inspirational words you spoke. Not to mention, it was incredible seeing such a beautiful work of art being created with speed and emotion right in front of me. I’ll conclude with saying that this was hands down the best convocation I’ve attended while at Lincoln, and it was a great substitute for boring PM classes (especially for a lazy Senior like me 😛 )
    Rock on, Ben!

  6. Thanks guys – your words mean a lot to me! It’s great to know that some of the things I shared resonated with you and made you think. Remember to keep moving forward no matter what and also that sometimes the best things in life come from the worst situations. Never give up!