“Tell me your story, young man”. The comment caught me off guard. I had just finished helping an elderly stranger open up a condiment packet as he sat alone in a booth at a fast food restaurant late one dreary evening a while back. I couldn’t bear to see his weathered arthritic hands labor to open the condiment pack. I was having dinner in the restaurant with my family, stopping to eat on our way home after another busy day of shuttling children from school to practice and back home to finish the masses of homework that would consume the waning hours of day before bed. The question posed to me seemed strange, and I pondered how I might politely share a few moments with the friendly stranger before hurrying back to my busy life.
Admittedly, I’m a natural performer and storyteller so I had no problem opening up to the inviting gentleman with the calming presence. I shared a short bit about where I was from and how I ended up where I am today. I shared my love for children and how it led me to be an educator. By now, my wife, sensing my engagement with the stranger, brought my food to me as Mr. Johnson and I sat in the booth. We were a contradiction in every way. He was an African American gentleman likely in his early 80s, humbly dressed, with years of hard work weathered on his face and hands. I was a young Caucasian adult, wearing business attire and it appeared obvious that I had never seen the struggles and hardships that my counterpart had likely frequently encountered. As the time passed, he shared his amazing life story with me.
Having grown up in an era where his race limited his educational and work opportunities, Mr. Johnson shared with me how he would wash local storefront windows in town for nickels, until one day a bank manager, whose window he had just finished cleaning, asked him if he would like a job in the bank cleaning and watching after the boiler. The elderly gentleman’s eyes sparkled as he told me how that offer ended up changing his life. Working in his new job at the bank, Mr. Johnson said that he took great pride in his work and used the earnings to buy his own home-which his parents had never owned. Being a locally owned bank, many of the town’s residents frequented the business which was located in the heart of downtown. Mr. Johnson established a rapport with many of the city’s residents. Over time, the bank manager took Mr. Johnson under his wing, and he shared with me that the manager helped him purchase stock in the bank. Like many banks have done, this bank was bought several times, and restructured, but somehow he kept his job through the transitions. Through the years, the job at the bank and the money invested in stock helped Mr. Johnson put all three of his children, as well as two grandchildren, through college. In his words he had lived the “American Dream.”
The power of his words pierced my heart as he shared how life’s twists and turns had led him to where he is today- a proud father and grandfather who had worked hard, sacrificed much and planned well for his family and their well-being. I was amazed and engulfed in the story the man shared and wanted so much to know more of the trials and triumphs he had encountered along the way. After a great deal of time together, we parted ways, but the stories he shared never left me.
Each school year brings about the excitement of possibilities. For some it brings the possibility of continued success. For others, it opens the door for a prospect of change and improvement. These opportunities and authentic experiences that we as educators give students help carve the path that leads to their story. Today more than ever, as a community we must desire better opportunities, greater advancements and increased success for the students we are collectively responsible for. Students have opportunities today that many of us never encountered in our youth. We must hold them to a high standard while at the same time building up a strong support system under them. Little certainty is known about the future today’s students will encounter as adults; however one near certainty is that, without a strong educational foundation, their “American Dream” will be much less attainable.
Part of our own story is not only how we live our lives, but how we help improve the lives of others- especially children. As we progress through another school year in Newton-Conover, I urge parents, community members and Newton-Conover employees alike to make it a priority to positively impact the life stories of our students. When school assignments, homework, projects, etc. seem overwhelming, please draw on the assurance that these activities are all in place to help students gain the knowledge and experiences necessary to cultivate their own story in this world.
Thank you to each of you who are making a difference in the lives of children.
