Little Kids -_-# Part 2: My Little Handful

Yesterday I was helping the kids with their homework and one kid sits down next to me. The first thing he says to me is "You talk like you're white". That in itself is very depressing because he thinks that speaking proper English is only for white people. As the tutoring session goes on, he continues to drop very disturbing tidbits about how he's from this neighborhood and how he's in 4th grade, yet he knows about sex and how to curse. Where is the innocence? The innocence is non existent. I am almost mystical to him because I am black, I speak proper English, and I dabble in Chinese. He doesn't understand how I could possibly have aspirations outside of becoming a famous basketball/ football player or a rapper.

It's pretty clear that school is not on his list of priorities; he just "wants to get whatever job gets him a lot of money. He "doesn't even need school" which is problematic because he couldn't figure out simple arithmetic. When I ask him about his future aspirations, he tells me the "job doesn't matter." My heart aches for him. These younger generations of kids only know the technology they were born into, the  popularity that comes with having the newest shoes, and the fun that comes with affluence. The concept of faith, hard work, and consistency is lost on a kid like this overly informed and culturally ignorant 4th grader. The best way to combat ignorance is by using knowledge so I'm going to continue to drop little tidbits about myself to see if it rubs off on my little handful.

My face every time that kid opens his mouth. #WorkingOnIt