Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: dangerous, lunch buddy, mentor, neighborhood, North Charleston
Today I became an official “Lunch Buddy” at an elementary school in North Charleston. For those who aren’t Charlestonians this is an area that is one of the most dangerous in the country, a place where people like me, sadly enough, don’t go often enough.
I admit, as I crossed the tracks (literally) into this area of town, I felt a bit of trepidation. Sometimes (okay, often) I get myself into things that I should have put a little more thought into, and this felt like it might become one of those times. But as I pulled up to the school I knew that I was meant to be there.
After I was given a brief orientation I was introduced to my little girl whose name I will not state here. I waited for her to grab lunch and went into the library where we started to learn more about each other. She was a quiet girl with a big smile, obviously glad that I was there but so nervous at the same time. If it wasn’t her left leg than it was her right that was bouncing up and down at a furious pace despite the even pace of chatter she maintained.
As a third-grade student in a school that doesn’t always get a good rep, she clearly stood out above the rest despite her diminutive size. She reminded me of me when I was her age. When asked why she had asked for a mentor, she told me that the other kids didn’t really talk to her at lunch, except for her friend who was also sitting in the library with her own mentor. My heart broke right there and I wished that I could be there every day to keep her company.
A bright girl, she told me that she had read books at the eight and tenth grade levels, that she was five books away from getting a prize (out of 25 books) and that she scored at the top of her class in the state exam. “I got a nineteen out of twenty and my teacher said that was pretty good.” Pretty good isn’t enough of an accolade for this girl. As she ate her salad (which she chose over pizza) she talked a little about her family, “I don’t even know how many sister’s I’ve got, but I have four brothers.” She told me how she was not a “girly-girl” and preferred to play basketball even though Momma wanted her to be a cheerleader. ” I hate wearing skirts and dresses, in fact I only have one dress and that is for church.”
Although I could write pages about this girl, this is only our first time out of many that we will have lunch together, so I will keep it brief. It gives me hope that even those children who might live in the worst of neighborhoods can still find love and thrive despite their circumstances. And I would encourage you, emphatically, to find a similar program in your area. There are kids who could benefit from your company, even if it is only an hour a week. Trust me, that look in their eyes when you have to leave says it all.
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