FromtheEditor
Can a person change your life without you ever meeting them?
This question occurred to me as Wyndi and I were watching the documentary, “The Last Repair Shop” on Disney+.
Carrying on a tradition over the last couple of years, Wyndi, I and one of the best men from our wedding try to watch as many of the Oscar nominees as possible from the time of announcement until the event.
As avid literacy fans, we watched “The ABCs of Book Banning” first and found it had some pretty good points from the widow of a World War II soldier who fought book-burning Nazis and children who were mystified behind some of the books they had liked which were now removed from their schools’ libraries in Florida.
“The Last Repair Shop” surprisingly was more stirring as it explained how the Los Angeles united school district repairs musical instruments and provides them to students at no cost, many of who would not have been able to afford them otherwise. In between profiles of the men and women who repair instruments, students talk about their love for music and the instrument they play and it becomes apparent how much these workers have positively affected these children’s lives. And they’ve never even met them face to face, which makes the performance at the end, featuring these technicians, pretty special.
As a former child myself (several years ago anyways), it doesn’t take much to inspire a kid.
Resonant quotes and storylines in books, movies and television can spark creativity and get us excited about story-telling at an early age.
My parents and other family members (as well as many pastors and teachers) provided me with worthwhile lessons and quality time that built character.
However, I was reminded of a Kinko’s employee while watching the documentary. When my mom was teaching in San Marcos, we went to Kinko’s weekly as she prepared lesson plans and printed activities. While I was there, I would split time between reading/watching Tiny Toons in the lounge area (it was a pretty big Kinko’s), helping Mom and talking to Mike.
Mike was a college-age employee who did wicked “Ren and Stimpy” impressions and genuinely seemed to listen when he wasn’t too busy behind the counter and shared thoughts on his favorite books and movies from when he was a kid. Most of all, he didn’t talk down to me or make me feel like an annoying, hyper child (which I know I was at times).
SarahWeaver,theexecutive director of Erath’s Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) has remarked she would like as many of Erath’s youth to have mentors as possible regardless of the home they come from because they all can benefit.
I can imagine mentors mean a lot for children missing one or both parents because it meant a lot for me who had both and never felt neglected by either.
‘It takes a village’ to raise a child, as they say. Whether your role is parent, teacher, music tech or just providing an ear, a village can all help inspire a more well-rounded person. BBBS is always looking for mentors. For more information, visit bbbstx.org.
—Paul Gaudette is the managing editor of The Dublin Citizen. He can be reached at publisher@dublincitizen.com