"I'd like to introduce you to somebody," said the staff member who had picked me up at the airport one week ago. Eager to meet a kind, helpful teacher or mentor, I followed her. But outside, a blonde-haired girl, also in Form 5, stood there.
After telling me her name, the woman said, "She has invited you to her house for the weekend."
My first thought: We haven't even met before!! I have no idea who she is!! Eek!
My second thought: Who coerced her into this? What teenager invites a random girl to their house without some adult involved?
Turns out, this girl's mother is on the PTA, and she was the one who initiated to idea. So now, on Saturday afternoon, I am off to this girl's house for the night. Hopefully things will turn out well…
At first I was afraid…but then, at our brief school meeting this morning, I received some words of encouragement. A drama teacher spoke about the recent xenophobic killings in South Africa. She said that the murderers only found themselves in a position to kill people because they had not addressed their fears – in this case, a fear of outsiders or strangers. She emphasized the point of irrationality that their fear had reached – irrationality, according to her, meaning not thought through, not contemplated. This teacher suggested – pleaded – that we all address our fears, rather than keeping them hidden and bottled up; that we think about and realize what our fears are; and that each day, we try to conquer at least one of our fears.
So today, I will try sitting with different people at dinner; I will try to visit someone in their room, and actually work up the courage to knock on their door; and I will look towards my weekend engagement with hope and excitement, rather than worry and fear.
