贫民窟里的明星浪子回头

Jane Pauley

Orlando Ward， sounds like the name of a basketball star. He was on track to be one before he slipped the tracks into drugs and homelessness. Then he heard his life calling.

He grew up in a middle-class Los Angeles suburb.

Orlando： I was the “All American” kid.

Reporter： You were a star.

A high school basketball star recruited by hundreds of colleges. He picked Stanford， but was sidelined by an injury.

Orlando： The definition of who I was， was crushed， period， and that was the first time I tried anything.

Still， he got an education and some good jobs.

Reporter： Well then， what the heck happened？

Orlando： I crossed that invisible line where it was no longer recreational.

It was 17 years from Stanford to the street. Reporter： You just let go？

Orlando： I let go of everything. I started going down those dark alleys and living on the street， and steadily 1）spiraling downward.

For two years he was homeless. Reporter： The people who loved you， did they finally cut you off？ Orlando： Yeah. I remember I called my mom one day， some story about needing money again， and it was “Orlando， I dont know what youre doin. I didnt raise you that way， but I cant help.” And she hung up.

In the spring of 99， he began the slow walk back. Orlando： Im sitting in my little cardboard box， and I just started to talk， “God， I am an addict， Im an alcoholic， Im here on 2）skid row and Ill probably die here. The fight was gone. Id given up. ”

Thats when he found his way to LAs *Midnight Mission. Orlando was first assigned to the kitchen. Orlando： A value shift started to occur， where the type of life that I was leading in the past was unacceptable.

Staff noticed his potential， and gave him increasing levels of responsibility.

奥兰多·沃德，听起来像一个篮球明星的名字。在他误入歧途沉迷毒品变得无家可归之前，他本有可能成为一名篮球明星。后来他听到了他生命的呼唤。

他是在美国洛杉矶郊区一个中产阶级家庭里长大的。

奥兰多：我曾是个乖巧的孩子。

记者：你曾是个明星。

他曾是一个被上百所高校争夺的高中篮球明星。他最终选择了斯坦福大学，但之后却因伤退出了篮球赛场。

奥兰多：那段时期，我不知道我是谁，那个时候的我很消沉。也是从那个时候起，我学会了吸毒。

不过，他还是完成了大学学业，并找到了一些好工作。

记者：那么，到底又发生了什么事？

奥兰多：因为我越过了那条无形的线，从那以后吸毒不再只是单纯的娱乐消遣了。

从斯坦福大学到流浪街头的瘾君子，这期间过了17年。

记者：你就这样放弃了？

奥兰多：我放弃了一切。我开始出入那些黑暗的小巷，流落街头，一路堕落。

有两年时间他无家可归。

记者：那些爱你的人，他们最终都跟你断绝来往了吗？

奥兰多：是的。我记得有一天我打电话给我妈妈，又编一些需要钱的谎话，然后她说，“奥兰多，我不知道你在干什么。我以前不是那样教你的，很抱歉我现在帮不了你。”然后她就挂掉电话了。

1999年的春天，他开始尝试回头。

奥兰多：那个时候，我坐在我那小纸板箱里，然后开始自言自语，“天呐，我是一个瘾君子，我是个酒鬼，我住在贫民窟里，我也许就会死在这里。生活毫无希望，我已经放弃了自己。”

但也正是那个时候，他找到了他的方向，他来到洛杉矶的午夜教会。刚开始，奥兰多被分配到厨房帮忙。

奥兰多：我的价值观开始发生转变，然后我发现我过去的生活方式是不可接受的。

大伙儿发现他的潜力，然后让他担起更多的责任。

Orlando： I didnt realize it at the time， but， looking back， they were loving me and believing in me when I couldnt do that for myself.

Over 10 years he worked his way from client to manager to Vice-president of Operations， the highest-ranking executive at the Midnight Mission ever to come off the street.

Orlando： I think I have a responsibility to demonstrate to people that are where I was， that theres no limits. Theres none.

And for the first time since high school， he was recently recruited again， this time by Volunteers of America as Director of Community Relations.

Hes helping a community hes never left behind.

Orlando： I firmly believe that everything that I was exposed to in life was there for a reason. Those memories have become my tools of the trade. Its how Im able to help other people， and feel what theyre feeling， and let them know theres a way out.

Reporter： In 3）hindsight， could you have led a different life？

Orlando： Yeah， absolutely！ I dont know that I could have gotten here if I hadnt went [sic] the way I went.

Reporter： Did you ever get back to your Mom？

Orlando： Oh， man， in a big way. My Dad had a mild stroke； I was the first person they called. They rely upon me to be their son and that does more for me than it does for them.

Reporter： And today， he has a family of his own.

Orlando： You know， Gods not done with me. Theres more to do， and Im up for it. Im game.

奥兰多：我当时并没有意识到他们的用心良苦，但当我回过头看才发现，他们真的很爱我，在我对自己也没有信心的时候，他们都很信任我。

十年来，他努力向前，他的身份从一名顾客到经理再到运营副总裁，一路攀升。这是在午夜教会里工作的人当中，曾是无家可归者做到的最高职位。

奥兰多：我觉得我有责任告诉那些与我曾经一样的人们，通往成功的路是没有门槛的，完全没有。

自高中毕业后第一次，他最近又被聘上了，而这一次是成为“美国志愿者组织”的社区关系负责人。

他在帮助一个他从未抛弃的社群。奥兰多：我坚信，我生活中遭受的一切都是有原因的。那些记忆已经成为我如今工作的工具。正因为过去，我才能够帮助其他人，并能体会到他们的感受，并让他们知道，想摆脱困境还是有办法的。

记者：现在回过头来看，你也许过的是一种不同的生活？

奥兰多：当然，完全是！如果我没有走之前的路，我也不知道我能否有今天。

记者：你有跟你妈妈恢复联系吗？

奥兰多：噢，当然，而且关系比以前更密切了。我爸爸得了轻微的中风；我是他们通知的第一人。他们依赖我，因为我是他们的儿子，然而，相比之下，这于我更重要。

记者：如今，他也组建了自己的家庭。

奥兰多：你知道，上帝没有放弃我。以后还有更多的事情要做，我已经准备好了，随时可以应付挑战。

翻译：阿狸

文化交流站

Midnight Mission 午夜教会，美国洛杉矶市中心贫民区的一个公共事业组织，成立于1914年。该组织对本地区的穷人提供基本的生活保障：毒品和酗酒康复服务，安全睡眠计划，教育培训，并重点发展自给自足的家庭住房。该组织也会在半夜做完祈祷后为无家可归的人提供用餐服务。