Thursday, November 15, 2007

"...during the bombing..."

The other day, some of my students invited me to join them at a cafe for a coffee. I had a ton to do, but I needed the escape from my daily routine. It's always nice to see what my students are up too and what their thoughts on current events and school life are.

At one point in the conversation, my students were telling me about strange eating habits that they had at one point in their lives. As natural as breathing, one students said, "...during the bombing, I used to eat..." and I don't remember the rest. I just stayed on that phrase. He said it so casually. I had a moment of clarity on how lucky my life has been this far. Can you imagine what your life would have been like if you could honestly use that phrase? I can't even imagine. My students were 10-15 years old and had nothing to do with the politics involved that brought on the bombing. Think of all the children today that have to suffer because of the decisions adults make. Imagine if it was your child, your students, or someone you love.

I don't mean to turn negative and philosophical, but it started me thinking. I had no idea what to say to my students. They weren't looking for a response to that quote, but at times, I feel that when they discuss the part of their lives that had war and bombs, they are silently asking me for some explanation. Those are the times when I feel guilty for something I didn't do, guilty that it happened to them, sorry that I can't fully understand what it was like, and sorry for not knowing what to say to them.

I have a lot more to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

1 comment:

misse said...

Hey there Pumpkin Pie-sweet and better when nutty!
I'm sitting here, 8:00 PM...
It's a middle school movie night, 3 movies to choose from, wonderful technology, big screens, friends all around and free popcorn to boot. My belly's full of a good salad and some free popcorn. I decided to visit Jaime and Serbia and hear about bombing. The first thing I thought about was the instant the doctor told me about Lindsey's leukemia. It was a bombshell that lasted about 6 months. But I had all my family's support and knew at all times that my other children were healthy and taken care of. ....That's what I thought of Jaime. Families sure make a difference and it sure is nice to know they're all safe. Is there alot of evidence of bombing. In Guatemala, many buildings were still in crumbles from earthquakes 20-50 years in the past.

How's the turkey plans?