Open Your Eyes - Don't Turn Your Head

     I grew up in a progressive, metropolitan town which is located 30 minutes outside of New York City.  I enjoyed growing up there because of the multicultural diversity and the proximity to the City.  I moved out of my hometown when I was 23, but continued my career as a teacher in that same town.  Once again, the allure of multiculturalism and the fact that I had received a great education kept me working in my hometown.  Every once in a while, I get the desire to leave, but then I get an empty feeling when I think about leaving the wonderful families that have taught me so much about the world.  I consider myself to be very lucky to have grown up in a town with such rich cultural differences.

     Having taught for the past 15 years, I have learned plenty about what happens behind the scenes.  Yes, I teach children, but many times the children have taught me... many of the children in my school come from underprivileged life situations... living in ghettos, drug dealers on the corner, child molester next door, broken homes, mom working 3 jobs just to make ends meet, family members in jail, violence, hunger, several people sleeping in one bed, roach infested living spaces, bed bugs, beatings, drunken relatives, rats creeping out in the dark, mice running about, violence, no heat, community bathroom - shared with neighbors, not having any spare change (literally), having ill-fitting clothing, children living in DCF situations... all resulting in the disintegration of family life... the list could go on and on.  To an outsider, these kids LOOK okay, but once you know them, you learn the deepest and darkest secrets of unhappy childhoods.  Lives that no one should ever have to live, but these innocent children live them because they have NO CHOICE.  Many families try to make due, and thankfully, many times there is some love somewhere that keeps the children from all growing up angry and violent.  There are children who shine, like lights, through the darkest of life situations.

     Today, I attended the wake of one of those children... an innocent 22 year old, black man... his life stolen from him way before his time.  Greg had dreams of having a future.  He worked two jobs and gave money back to his mom.  Greg dreamed of going to college and making something out of his life.  He hung out with good kids who were similar minded.  Everyone who knew him only had GREAT things to say about him.  As I stood in the back of the church and looked toward the open casket, I couldn't help but feel the bitterness of sorrow.

     Greg was senselessly shot in the head at point-blank range.  His death came as a surprise... a good kid, dead.  Relatives crying out for mercy... "He was a good boy, Lord; PLEASE have mercy on him... PLEASE... he never bothered anyone!"  Family members, friends and members of the community all coming together to say goodbye to a young man who died before his time... overcome by sorrow and grief, many people broke down crying, sobbing, pleading with God... some family members even begging for him to be brought back to life.  Such a huge public cry - end the violence and the senseless killings.  The city has been riddled with shootings - one happening just last night.  The lucky ones are the ones who are untouched by violence, but in situations like this one, there aren't any who are unaffected by this senseless killing... the roots are deep, like a giant tree... you can see how tall it is from the outside, but you don't realize that it's roots are deep and they stretch much further than you can imagine - the same thing happens to a city... One man is murdered, and from the outside it looks like things are okay, but it's what's happening behind the scenes - underneath, growing tensions, restlessness and background plotting that you have to worry about.  Like a pot of boiling water... you've got to keep an eye on it.