Let's Talk About Drugs and Family Problems

About a week ago, that's exactly what I heard from one of my students. I gave them a break on that Friday, a break from reminding them of how important it will be for them to finish high school, a break from the merits of hard work, a break from me not giving them a break.

The eight young men sat in their chairs waiting for my reaction to the request, that we talk about drugs, gangs, and how fucked up their lives seem to be.

I write seem in the immediate sense. Seem to be. It can be fucked up, they've seen fucked up things, but the minute I say "No" to the request their lives will be fucked up because no one will care. It will be so.

All eyes were on me. Some had a look of "I know he won't"
Others were just waiting for me to say, "Yes"

I did not have to relent, I did not have to make a big decision: weighing the possibilities "if I do" versus "if I don't"

We had a great 60 minutes together. We listened to each others stories. Each of them, when I pass them in the corridors of campus, nod to me, look at me as if I'm there. A real person, like them.

Greg