A Day of Ups and Downs

Today definitely had its highs and lows and so I felt it was worthy of an update. First off, I got to work at 10am (actually 9:45 or so b/c the bus gets me there early) and I was wondering why my JVC co-worker Sarah wasn't there, but figured there must be a reason. At 11:30 my boss came in and told me that he forgot to tell me about a Catholic Charities orientation that I was supposed to attend and that my co-workers Sarah and Brandi were both there all morning b/c they each found out about it through other people who work for Catholic Charities. He said it was no big deal b/c I could just go to the next one but I was just a little annoyed b/c I know I'll have no way to get there b/c it's on the other side of town and I usually take the bus to work. I know I need to be flexible, especially working with a nonprofit b/c they tend to be disorganized in general, but I often feel like I'm uninformed in my position b/c I got there a week after my JV co-worker to start with and I never got the full introduction that she did. I got over it relatively quickly though and my day got better during the afterschool program b/c the kids were relatively good and enjoyed the cooking project I had planned. I also love when the group of Burundian refugee girls I have start doing one of the songs/dances from their culture b/c they just start singing in their native language and doing all the same movements and today they even did one that was a call and response type thing. I really hope I get to learn more about their culture from them b/c I feel that this is a pretty unique experience, being able to work with kids from a country I didn't know existed a few weeks ago.

I had another low after work when my boss and one of my co-workers told us they wanted to walk with the kids home (they all live in that neighborhood and walk home as a group) b/c there was word that a fight might break out. They later explained to us that something had started between one Burundian kid and one American kid on Friday and it had escalated quickly with each group of kids backing up their side and threatening to fight each other on the way home today. I had never really noticed much tension between the Burundian and American kids in my group, but I guess it is true that they never really associate with each other. We found out that relations between the Burundian refugees and the Americans have been strained since they started arriving 2 years ago and for some reason this group is having more difficulty integrating than groups in the past. The sad part was that when they were discussing what to do about the situation, they said that if they called the American kids' parents, the parents would most likely be proud of the fact that their kids were defending themselves against the refugee kids b/c this is most likely where they learn their prejudices. This all made me really sad that kids can learn to be so cruel to others just b/c they look different. It also makes me want to figure out a way to get our kids to learn more about each other's cultures b/c knowledge replaces ignorance and hopefully overturns these prejudices. But I'll have to get creative b/c they don't care about listening to anything that I have to say as it is and if they're already close-minded about this subject, I'm going to have quite a time convincing them to be more open about it.

So I was pretty down when I left work and I'm waiting for the bus and thinking about how this neighborhood is so unfriendly and divided and all and I get on a super crowded bus where there is literally one place left to stand in the very front. So I'm all set to do some bus-surfing as the bus pulls away from the corner and an African-American teenager sitting in the first seat jumps up and says here sit down. I'm shocked b/c I am not some old woman who needs a seat and also b/c I tend to think teenagers are disrespectful especially in this somewhat tough area of town and I just thought it was such a surprisingly kind gesture. At that moment after being so down, it lifted my spirits incredibly and gave me a renewed faith in humanity and hope for the future. Then as the bus emptied as we went farther down the route, there were probably only 12 people left and we stopped to let a woman off in front of a middle school close to my house. A teenager called out to his friend in the back of the bus "Hey, what school is this?" and a couple people answered that it was Grant middle school and all of a sudden a good portion of the bus was having a brief conversation about how long the school had been around and who's mother had gone there and whatnot. I just thought it was a cool moment shared between a very random mix of strangers of very different ages and racial backgrounds b/c you don't often see anyone interacting whatsoever on public transportation. It was just nice to see a little glimpse of humanity on a city bus which is normally one of those places in this world that completely lacks any trace of human interaction.

So that was my day. Some other good stuff at the end of the day included our first time seeing Brother Jim since he got back from Costa Rica last night, celebrating AJ's birthday with some sweet ice cream cake, and sharing our nightly prayer (which I led) with the Costa Rica volunteers through Skype, which was a really awesome experience. I really think being able to keep in touch with Skype will enable us to stay close with them throughout the year. Technology is really sweet sometimes.

Sorry this post got a bit lengthy and also if any of my sentences didn't make sense. People have been chatting around me while I type and usually I'm not so good at focusing my attention and sometimes start typing what I hear instead of what I'm thinking...hah. I'm looking forward to my 2nd trip to the park with the kids tomorrow and my 2nd night with the teens. Hopefully the ups and downs will continue to balance themselves out :)