doin' the stanky leg
The youngster and I had our reality checked Saturday.
We helped with a party for underprivileged kids. We've done this sort of thing before, but it's always been in a fairly sterile environment, where the kids come to us in a nice place...like a suburban park. This was in their world, and it was a wake up call.
We drove to a part of J'ville where I don't think I'd be alive (or at least have the same possessions I started with) for more than an hour if it was after dark. I saw stuff...and I knew it existed. It's just diferent when it's in your face. We got there around 9:30 in the morning and started setting things up for games. Guys are walking around and...I know the look where your big ol' shorts are on your hips and your boxers are showing, but this was a completely different level. The shorts were down around the thighs, like well below the butt...to the point where the bottoms of the shorts are at shoe top level. They have to use one hand to hold them up when they walk, so they always have just one hand free. I was carrying this little girl around...maybe four years old, tops. No idea where mom or dad was. If that was my child, I'd be knowing who the stranger was that's carrying my child off to the playground. I asked one little girl who looked about three where her dad was. "I don't have a dad." What about mom? "My mom's gone." I asked who brought her. She was being taken care of by her older brother (looked about ten) for the last few days. Well before noon, this woman walked by. She looked to be in her 20's, and she was noticably high as a kite.
Part of the deal was lunch, which was brought in. We unloaded drinks into big coolers...and as soon as they went in the coolers, people were carting them off...to their homes. By the time the hot dogs and burgers were ready, the drinks were gone. We brought all the kids up front around the food when we got ready to serve it, but as soon as the food was in reaching distance, the older kids and grown ups were reaching over the little ones and took it all...in armloads. It disappeared and the little kids were just staring at empty hot dog buns.
There was a DJ...playing rap. I didn't understand most of the lyrics. The youngster told me it was mostly harmless stuff that you can hear on Disney radio. They did a few dances, like the cha cha slide, and then started doing one (among many) that I didn't get, but the youngster could at least make out the lyrics..."do the stanky leg, and the booty do". The stanky leg...oooookay. I'm not judging or saying anything's better or worse than anything else. It's just not what I'm used to. It was bizarre, to me, but no more so than seeing Dolly Parton do Stairway to Heaven. (That lipstick reminds me of the Joker in The Dark Knight.)
Beyond all that though, the kids..I'd say mostly between the ages of three and ten, had a great day. It was fun, and just talking with them and playing with them...getting them to smile for a while, was rewarding. Just pay them a little attention and they light up. The thing is, you realize you leave...and it's just one day. Those kids need so much more...need to see so much more to realize there's a big world out there they can be a part of, and they can. This day was part of a bigger program, involving mentoring and tutoring, and helping them see how they can improve their lives, and I hope it helps. I know it's better than not trying. They need to see what's out there to reach for, besides the tops of their shorts.
We helped with a party for underprivileged kids. We've done this sort of thing before, but it's always been in a fairly sterile environment, where the kids come to us in a nice place...like a suburban park. This was in their world, and it was a wake up call.
We drove to a part of J'ville where I don't think I'd be alive (or at least have the same possessions I started with) for more than an hour if it was after dark. I saw stuff...and I knew it existed. It's just diferent when it's in your face. We got there around 9:30 in the morning and started setting things up for games. Guys are walking around and...I know the look where your big ol' shorts are on your hips and your boxers are showing, but this was a completely different level. The shorts were down around the thighs, like well below the butt...to the point where the bottoms of the shorts are at shoe top level. They have to use one hand to hold them up when they walk, so they always have just one hand free. I was carrying this little girl around...maybe four years old, tops. No idea where mom or dad was. If that was my child, I'd be knowing who the stranger was that's carrying my child off to the playground. I asked one little girl who looked about three where her dad was. "I don't have a dad." What about mom? "My mom's gone." I asked who brought her. She was being taken care of by her older brother (looked about ten) for the last few days. Well before noon, this woman walked by. She looked to be in her 20's, and she was noticably high as a kite.
Part of the deal was lunch, which was brought in. We unloaded drinks into big coolers...and as soon as they went in the coolers, people were carting them off...to their homes. By the time the hot dogs and burgers were ready, the drinks were gone. We brought all the kids up front around the food when we got ready to serve it, but as soon as the food was in reaching distance, the older kids and grown ups were reaching over the little ones and took it all...in armloads. It disappeared and the little kids were just staring at empty hot dog buns.
There was a DJ...playing rap. I didn't understand most of the lyrics. The youngster told me it was mostly harmless stuff that you can hear on Disney radio. They did a few dances, like the cha cha slide, and then started doing one (among many) that I didn't get, but the youngster could at least make out the lyrics..."do the stanky leg, and the booty do". The stanky leg...oooookay. I'm not judging or saying anything's better or worse than anything else. It's just not what I'm used to. It was bizarre, to me, but no more so than seeing Dolly Parton do Stairway to Heaven. (That lipstick reminds me of the Joker in The Dark Knight.)
Beyond all that though, the kids..I'd say mostly between the ages of three and ten, had a great day. It was fun, and just talking with them and playing with them...getting them to smile for a while, was rewarding. Just pay them a little attention and they light up. The thing is, you realize you leave...and it's just one day. Those kids need so much more...need to see so much more to realize there's a big world out there they can be a part of, and they can. This day was part of a bigger program, involving mentoring and tutoring, and helping them see how they can improve their lives, and I hope it helps. I know it's better than not trying. They need to see what's out there to reach for, besides the tops of their shorts.
Labels: Philosophy
John put this out here at 7:52 AM
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