LACEO Banquet 2012...

Over Mothers' Day weekend, Mom and I went to the annual LACEO banquet. For those of you who don't know, LACEO is the Latin-American Cultural Exchange Organization. LACEO is a Philadelphia non-profit organization, dedicated to outreach to youth and the local community, located in Graterford Prison, Graterford PA. LACEO usually holds a banquet complete with guest speakers on the day before Mother's Day.

We got up early and stopped by our regular spot at McDonald's for breakfast. We got to Sam's place at around 9:30am and waited until around 11:00am. We had to get in early to ensure that we could get a locker. In previous years, they've actually run out of lockers. Also, in previous years, we've gotten a ride from the front of the facility to the back of the facility, where the banquet is held. This year, the back door wasn't working, so, everyone had to walk through the main corridor to the banquet area.

It's a very long walk and Mom could only make it about half way. Fortunately, the staff scrounged a wheel chair and Mom made the rest of the long walk in style. We got to the banquet area and were met by a certain amount of confusion. Sam arrived shortly after we did and things started to run a bit more smoothly. This year, there was a different variety of food -- including Stromboli. I wasn't adventurous enough to try the Stromboli, but, I did actually have more to eat this year than in previous years.

Mom, Sam and I talked and stuffed our faces for quite a while. We caught up on family gossip and had a good time. In addition to pictures with Sam, Mom was treated to an arrangement of paper flowers, a little hand-made and embroidered pillow and a Mother's Day card with a photo inside. This year, the LACEO organizers went all out for desert -- they got a red velvet cheesecake from none other than Lawrence bakery (a Philadelphia institution that has been around for years).

Well, after all of the eating, talking and the obligatory speeches and awards, it was time to leave. Since, we weren't the first ones to line up to leave, Mom's wheelchair had been confiscated by another guest. So, we had to wait for the people to leave and for the wheelchair to be brought back. Meanwhile, Sammy and all the other permanent residents were piling up at the entrance. They couldn't leave the banquet area until all of the guests had left the facility.

As the lone guest, holding up the show, Mom was already feeling a bit overwhelmed, but, the best was yet to come. After a long wait, standing in the company of three senior officers and a number of staff and residents, the wheelchair had finally been brought back. Mom hopped in and was hoping for a quick getaway.

But, as soon as we got out, the scope of Mom's embarrassment suddenly dawned. In a vestibule, just outside the banquet area, all of the other guest who we thought were safely away, were piled up waiting for Mom. Mom wanted to crawl under the nearest rock and die. But, then, one of the guards yelled to the assembled masses, "Stand aside, handicap coming through!" Then, the wheelchair got struck in the doorway. After I got the wheelchair free, it was as if Mom and I were at the front of a large parade. Sadly, Mom wasn't in the mood to smile and wave. She just kept her head down and tried not to look at anyone or anything. Mom recalls this experience as being one of the more unenviable moments of the day.

Aside from the utter humiliation near the end of our visit to Sam's place, it was a good day.

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