Today was a very interesting day, with many different highs and lows. I will attempt to address some of them here before I fall asleep sitting up (as many of us do on the subway multiple times throughout the day…).
Most importantly, Jem saw CHRIS BROWN playing basketball!!!!!!!!! She almost had a heart attack and now feels her “life is complete.” We are lucky that she made it through the experience alive, however she will not be taking anymore pictures on this trip because her memory card is full.
On other light, fun notes, it was my birthday today and I am officially a Grandma, as I am the oldest female in the group. I am coming to grips with my age, but I did have a midlife crisis today which resulted in a spending spree at the local thrift stores in Brooklyn. Along with becoming a Grandma, I also worked towards my personal goal of becoming a hipster today. I feel I am heading in a positive direction with regards to that goal.
I also want to thank the AmAzInG group that made me a beautiful and delicious funfetti cake today! The serenading at the metro was a real treat, especially the second time around for the FlipCam (Go Americans!). Side notes: 1. When I say “metro” I am usually referring to the subway and when I get back to D.C., I’m sure I’ll finally have the term “subway” down, just in time to take the metro again! Yipee! 2. We have still been successful in preventing Lauren from escaping on our commutes. Similarly to sleepwalkers, Lauren has a tendency to “subway walk” and randomly will get up and attempt to leave the train when she feels it is appropriate. We love her though, always keeping us on our toes…
Now, to the important stuff…the school. We have all had very different experiences working in the schools. However, today we all came to reflection very frustrated and pretty down about what we have been witnessing. Personally, it seems like sex and violence are the most important thing to these kids and therefore, motivating them to do well in school is not easy. When living in the Bronx, education and academics don’t seem to be the keys to success, because they won’t help you on the streets. I imagine thoughts going through the students’ minds, consciously or unconsciously, such as “why pay attention to this lecture about Hitler and the Nazis when I could be setting up a fight for after school so I can prove I’m the top dog on the block?” They live very much in the moment, in the here and now, which can be important and valuable, but it keeps them from seeing the bigger picture of the world. This creates a cycle of not valuing education, which perpetuates the poverty cycle. Some of the participants were also very confused when the “detention” that the students served consisted of sitting in the office with the security guard while listening to music and dancing around. There seems to be a disconnect between the teachers and the administration, which seems to lead to a very unstructured environment. It is obviously a multi-faceted, complex situation and we will all be exploring it more in reflection and as we walk through the hallways for our next three days here…but for now, my top bunk is calling me.
Until next time,
Kim aka Grandma
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