Enjoying the Spring
The past few weeks in St. Louis have been awesome weather-wise. I have to say I really love a spring that starts on time. I know it's been unusually nice everywhere this spring, but to be in the upper 70s and low 80s in early April is incredible. To make it even better, it cools down to a very comfortable sleeping weather.
I've already had plenty of chances to enjoy the weather during my weekends. Yesterday I took part in my first kickball game (the team has been playing for almost a month now, but I told them I couldn't commit until after basketball season was over). I don't think we could've asked for a more beautiful day to kick a rubber ball in the park. Saturday I helped paint a youth shelter. It was a small group of us working on it, but we got a lot done and had a lot of fun working together. With the spring also comes the lighting up of the grills. I think they'll be plenty of barbecues to go to from here on out. Saturday evening wasn't the exception to this as a group of us got together for food, fun and beer.
Of course I am still serving at the school, and despite the ideal weather, I continue to enjoy my time here. Just last week, our team painted our first mural on the wall. I didn't know what to expect, but the finished product is impressive. The staff and students have been equally impressed, giving us the thumbs up for future murals around the school. Our hope is that by making the school more aesthetically pleasing, the students, staff and parents will take more pride in the building and more importantly the school community. One of the hardest things for me to deal with all year is this idea that the school is "bad." It's a myth that is perputated by students, parents and teachers, and it seems to only breed an attitude of living up to that myth rather than overcoming it and exceeding expectations.
Besides the mural, I had a moment today that validates everything that I came here for. That's not to say there's not more to do or that I haven't felt validated before today, but this sits atop everything else. One of the students I work with, Dominique, has been a handful all year long. He's a good kid and a decent student when he wants to be, but he's very, very, very moody. I've never seen a kid who has such dramatic mood swings in such a short period of time. Several times this year I've had to deal with him throwing tantrums at the most inopportune times. There are many days I'm very frustrating in having to deal with him because I'm never sure what he wants or how to get him to listen. Today, we were talking about lots of things, his grades, cars, his interests, etc. At one point he told me that these past few months I've been his best friend. I didn't really even know how to react to it because I never saw it coming, but it made all the hours I've spent with him trying to get him to understand life and why I am the way I am with him worthwhile. It's a moment like that not only makes what I've been doing and will be doing with AmeriCorps worth it, but makes me want to continue doing work like this forever, because I know it's important for me and it's important for the people that I'm serving.
I've already had plenty of chances to enjoy the weather during my weekends. Yesterday I took part in my first kickball game (the team has been playing for almost a month now, but I told them I couldn't commit until after basketball season was over). I don't think we could've asked for a more beautiful day to kick a rubber ball in the park. Saturday I helped paint a youth shelter. It was a small group of us working on it, but we got a lot done and had a lot of fun working together. With the spring also comes the lighting up of the grills. I think they'll be plenty of barbecues to go to from here on out. Saturday evening wasn't the exception to this as a group of us got together for food, fun and beer.
Of course I am still serving at the school, and despite the ideal weather, I continue to enjoy my time here. Just last week, our team painted our first mural on the wall. I didn't know what to expect, but the finished product is impressive. The staff and students have been equally impressed, giving us the thumbs up for future murals around the school. Our hope is that by making the school more aesthetically pleasing, the students, staff and parents will take more pride in the building and more importantly the school community. One of the hardest things for me to deal with all year is this idea that the school is "bad." It's a myth that is perputated by students, parents and teachers, and it seems to only breed an attitude of living up to that myth rather than overcoming it and exceeding expectations.
Besides the mural, I had a moment today that validates everything that I came here for. That's not to say there's not more to do or that I haven't felt validated before today, but this sits atop everything else. One of the students I work with, Dominique, has been a handful all year long. He's a good kid and a decent student when he wants to be, but he's very, very, very moody. I've never seen a kid who has such dramatic mood swings in such a short period of time. Several times this year I've had to deal with him throwing tantrums at the most inopportune times. There are many days I'm very frustrating in having to deal with him because I'm never sure what he wants or how to get him to listen. Today, we were talking about lots of things, his grades, cars, his interests, etc. At one point he told me that these past few months I've been his best friend. I didn't really even know how to react to it because I never saw it coming, but it made all the hours I've spent with him trying to get him to understand life and why I am the way I am with him worthwhile. It's a moment like that not only makes what I've been doing and will be doing with AmeriCorps worth it, but makes me want to continue doing work like this forever, because I know it's important for me and it's important for the people that I'm serving.
posted by Tim Weiss at 1:06 PM
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