I believe that children are the future

Oh god, now I have (bad) Whitney in my head - and I have only myself to blame.

Volunteering last night at the Boys and Girls Club was AWESOME! My life as it is right now (and, frankly, for the past few years) is fairly isolated from the young 'uns, and it's nice to spend time with some kids. They are so sweet and eager to share with you. We met with a group of kids who are gearing up to apply to private school. Most of the kids are applying to middle school.

One of the partners gave a little presentation on the process, what the kids should be thinking about and doing, and how we were going to help them. When he asked if there were any questions, one boy shyly raised his hand and with a quavery voice asked,"Um, what are the benefits to going to a private school?" I blurted out, "You're going to do well in the interview." He's what - 10? Later on, when we went around the room asking the kids what schools they were applying to, he said "I'm applying to these three. I want to increase my probability that I'm accepted to one, but I have to stay within 20 miles." I considered telling him that he is more mature than I am. Maybe I could just give him my Adult Card, or something. Really, I just wanted to slip him in my pocket and take him home with me. I think he could probably tell me the meaning of life, or at least help me figure out how to allocate my 401K.

As we all talked, whenever they could the kids tried to share something - it was like they wanted us to know who they are, and to feel closer to them. One of us was talking about asking a coach or someone else who knows you well to write a recommendation, and one kid said, 'Um, I like to play soccer." I think I'm kind of like that, but in my head.

I'm looking forward to spending the next month or so with these kids, and I eagerly anticipate their success.