Saying Goodbye

I haven't written in a long time, I know. Like I always do, I got caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and ignored my blog. The longer I go without updating you all, the harder it is to catch up. I feel like I have to try to quickly sum up the first forty minutes of Inception to someone who wandered in mid-movie.

How do I catch you up on everything that has happened?

How do I explain the craziness of living in an intentional community of six? The fun, the laugh riots, the arguments, the frustrations, the connections. How do I paint you a picture of these people? We have been side by side with each other through so much: happiness, sadness, sickness, health... we are a six-person married couple.

These people that were complete and utter strangers, who I only knew from minor (okay, major) Facebook stalking I now feel like I have spent years with. What a phenomenon!

How do I take you through the St. Louis adventures?? This city be CRAZY! There were the ice storms that left the sidewalks and streets slick as an ice rink. Those were the months of bruised butts. Then there were the tornadoes with the eerie wailings of the warning sirens and the crackly radio voice telling us to get into our basement. Of course we just stood outside in the storm and filmed everything on our flipcam. Now it is summer. It is 90 degrees and our AC broke. Oh well. These will be the months of sweat, mosquito bites, Chigger bites (so bad!), sunburns, and constant unattractiveness (due to the above).

We have traveled the midwest to party at various JV houses (Smashville, Detroit, Milwaukee, Chi-Town) and we will bring them all here to STL for the 4th of July weekend of fun!!!

I have no clue how I am going to sum up my time at Vincent Gray.

Today was my last day of teaching. I made it through four quarters and four weeks of summer school. During summer school I was the only one teaching, so that allowed for a lot of fun. The first session was Healthy Relationships and the second was Speech and Presentation. Both classes were a blast! We had some intense discussions and many hilarious moments.

These students are something else. I can't believe I won't be seeing them again next year. I won't be here to see Angeletta's baby girl when she arrives in October, I won't see what kind of hats Anthony is wearing for the new school year, I won't see the new poets or the new troublemakers. The hardest thing is knowing I probably won't be able to see some of my favorite people graduate next year.

Teaching here has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I have learned and taught so much. Definitely more than I thought I was capable of coming in.

I taught them how to write a paragraph; they taught me how to do the Cat Daddy.

I taught them about recycling; they taught me about how things are done in the projects.

I taught them that trust is possible in a relationship; they taught me to be real.

It is so weird sitting in this empty classroom and realizing that I won't be here again when it is full of students talking, fighting, laughing, working, taking out their hair extensions... I start feeling a bit territorial. I don't want this new volunteer to sit at my desk and use my pens. I am afraid they will take down my posters or my Tibetan prayer flags. What if they erase my B.I.G quote from the whiteboard!?? See? I'm goin' a bit crazy with this whole last day thing.

I guess all I can leave you with are a couple pictures (I wish I had taken more) and somestudent quotes. And maybe one last chorus of the Black National Anthem, now that the students and staff that I have belted it out with have left for the summer.

Lift every voice and sing

Till earth and Heaven ring

Ring with the harmony of liberty

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the listening skies

Let it resound, loud as the rolling sea

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us

Facing the rising sun

of our new day begun

Let us march on

Till victory is won.

Marlon and Sergio prepare to race at the student picnic in St. Louis!

Timetra (TT) and Kearron have some bro/sis rivalry going!

Marlon, Juan, and LaMarcus

The girls! Lateisha (LaLa), LaToya and a friend

Oh Summer School...

David, Josh, Sergio, DeAvonie, Angeletta, JJ, and Marlon

So this is what happens in my classroom during 10 minute breaks...

I will miss this.

_______________________________________

QUOTES

Ryan and Trevonte: *singing while working* It’s a hard knock life for us, it’s a hard knock life for us!
Me: …
Ryan: Come on Ms. Millie, you didn’t know black kids could sing Annie, did you?

JJ: Hey, my girl tellin’ her granny ‘bout the baby today.
Me: Wow, JJ, are you nervous?
JJ: Yeah, but we’re takin’ her granny out to the steakhouse, so hopefully she won’t be too mad.

DeAvonie: What’s that Barbie doll’s name that girls play with?
Josh: Um, Barbie.
DeAvonie: Yeah...

Victoria: Ms. Millie, why you holdin’ Toya’s baby? Your man needs to give you your own baby.
Millie: No he doesn’t.
Victoria: Well, someone does. Just tell him it’s his.

Anthony (running into my room): There’s a hot new shawty here! I need to fresh up!! (grabs my scented oil air freshener sticks and rubs them on his neck). I'm gone!

Josh picks up one of my scented oil sticks and licks it.
Me: ...how was that?...
Josh: Not good...

*while playing Taboo*
JJ: It’s a type of weed!!! WHITE weed, brotha, WHITE WEED!!!
David: WIDOW!
JJ: Yeah! Count those points!

Josh: Sometimes I’m afraid that I won’t start tryin’ to have kids until I’m too old and then I won’t be able to have any.
David: Don’t worry. When you’re old some girl’ll come knocking on your door sayin’ she had your baby ten years ago.

*More Taboo*

JJ: *looking at the card* Oh! Girls give this to you!
David: Gonorrhea!
JJ: YES!
Me: Let me see that card!...That says granola, JJ.

Sergio: Ms. Millie, someday imma bring you in a nice, fat hamburger. And you’ll never eat that yogurt and granola stuff again. Your body will be so happy.

Me: What do you want to write your narrative on, Mark?
Mark: Probably the time my cousin and I got caught bustin’ into people’s rides...wait...who’s gonna be reading this narrative?