Lessons from a Popcorn Maker

ADVOT recently produced three magnificent festivals inside lock-up facilities. The festivals were actually the idea of a youth who participated in our program and is now in a reentry program. His suggestion was simple: a fun day with popcorn, ices, and “the feeling of freedom.”

The days became all of that and more.

But one unexpected thing happened along the way: I learned some really important life lessons from our funky popcorn machine.

Let me start with this — I wanted the festivals to feel like a carnival. So naturally, I bought the cutest carnival-style popcorn machine on an adorable vintage stand with little wheels.

Needless to say, the second we rolled it into the first festival, the wheels broke off.

One of my team members looked at me wisely and said:
“Nomie, always choose sturdy over cute.”

Lesson number one:
Go for the safe.
Go for the sound.
Go for the sturdy.
Be wary of the cute.

Then the festival started… and the popcorn wasn’t popping.

We could not figure out what was wrong. Everything looked connected. The machine was plugged in. But ultimately we discovered that while the machine itself was plugged into the wall, the little plug inside — the one actually connected to the popping mechanism — was not attached.

Lesson number two:
Always make sure things are plugged in.
Be connected.
Be attached.
Do not detach.

Once we fixed the cables and everything was connected, it was still going painfully slow. At one point, myself, my Program Manager, and my Program Coordinator literally stood around the popcorn machine praying over it.

Particularly my Program Coordinator. She put some serious prayer energy into that machine and lovingly told it: “We really, really need you to make popcorn.”

And here is the beauty about the power of prayer:
I don’t know exactly how it works, but ultimately, when you pray — and maybe pray hard enough — sure enough, the popcorn started popping.

Now, I know not everybody believes in prayer. But I do believe in intention. I do believe in asking nicely. I do believe in saying please. And I do believe good things happen when people come together with hope and care.

And man… the popcorn was good.

Lesson number three:
Be kind.
Ask.
Request.
Pray.
Intention matters.

At one of the boys’ lock-up facilities — our third and final festival — something extraordinary happened. Once the staff saw that the boys did not “lose their shit,” they allowed far more freedom than originally intended.

Instead of following a rigid schedule, the youth were allowed to roam the festival freely and move from station to station on their own.

At first, this freedom was actually difficult for some of them.

Choice is not something many of these youth are regularly given. And when suddenly handed freedom, some genuinely did not know what to do with it.

Naturally, everyone gravitated toward the snack stations — the popcorn, the cotton candy, the ices. There were huge lines around these three machines, and honestly, we were stressed.

But here’s the thing:
You cannot force things to happen faster than they are meant to happen.

The popcorn needs time to pop.

Pressure does not speed it up.

Lesson number four:
Patience.
Patience.
Patience.

Things cannot happen until they are ready to happen.

Once the machine was hot enough…
Once it had turned long enough…
Once the steam built…
The popcorn started popping and popping and popping.

It would not go faster because I wanted it to.
It would not go faster because people were waiting.
It would not go faster because I was stressed.

Lesson number five:
People, things, healing, growth — even popcorn machines — need time.

So yes, the festivals were a huge success.
Yes, we brought moments of freedom inside walls that rarely allow freedom.
And yes, that was our deepest intention.

But unexpectedly, I also received some very important lessons from a popcorn machine.

So next time you go to the movies and get yourself a bag of popcorn, remember these lessons:

Choose sturdy over cute.
Stay connected.
Ask kindly and pray boldly.
Be patient.
Trust timing.

And as one of the youth said so beautifully:
“Freedom is in your head.”

But honestly?
Freedom is also in a bag of popcorn.
Especially when you get all the toppings.