Intersection of Individuals and Statistics

by John Cannizzo

“Baltazar is good," Melissa says. We are at Flatbush Branch Library. Interns are planting big trees. Baltazar, Zaid, Danny and Lorenzo unearth a huge boulder. I overhear their conversation. They talk about types. A donor has provided funding for a tracking project to track the case history of each intern's ethnicity, socio-economic level, gender, education, family status, personal history, recidivism and employment. It is the intersection of individuals and statistics.

It is new interns today except for Lorenzo. One instructor believes Lorenzo has learning disabilities, and is regressive -- “He will never be a leader." Lorenzo lives with his mother. Not much can be done without a mother. It is difficult to know the whole person from their personality. But sometimes in an unaccustomed situation there comes a glimpse of the essential individual.

The boulder must weigh 200 lbs. I urge them on to use levers and speak about Archimedes to bewilderment. They try the levers. Baltazar is organizing. He has many ideas about how it “should be." Lorenzo bears the burden. Danny doesn't understand. Zaid holds the shovel but is not lifting. Everyone is talking at once. As the stone gets closer to the top of the hole it gets harder to move. The irresistible desire of the stone is to return to the earth. As the amount of space between the bottom of the hole and the bottom of the stone increases the stone grows proportionately heavier. It totters back into the hole.

Zaid holds his shovel as if nothing is happening. Danny tries to use his shovel totally ineffectually. Baltazar jumps away not so much dropping but throwing his shovel, his face a mask of fear he as looks at Lorenzo. Lorenzo assumes the entire weight. Zaid still holds his shovel poised.

“Ugh, but, if, then..." Lorenzo says and with superhuman effort hoists the stone.

“Help him," I shout. Everyone wakes up except Baltazar who is frozen in solid motion.

That boulder has the place of honor in the garden.

William got a regular job in June and so did Adeline. Evelyn went to work for Center for Employment Opportunities as an assistant supervisor. Lorenzo would have been there too but that is another story. Adrian has one foot in the private sector now as well.

**All photos courtesy of John Cannizzo

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There isn't usually as much construction debris in Brooklyn as there is in New York City. This must have been the first structure that sat on this spot other than maybe a wooden house.

Archimedes said give me a big enough lever and I can move the earth. That stone is heavier than it looks. There were lots of different ideas about how to move the stone. Everyone agreed on one thing however: they would move the stone.

There are big stones buried in the ground. These stones are part of the geology of the area. Baltazar is sitting, Zaid is standing and Lorenzo is digging. With Lorenzo, unearthing buried stones is a personal challenge.

At last the hole is dug and the Acer palmatum subhurta pendula is ready for its new home.