Givin' >Time 2 Volunteer Work

I was late for Vol work session in Yishun again due to consultation in school. Today we are doing handicraft to be sold at an upcoming carnival. This year's youth seemed to be so restless and nonchalent that I felt like so helpless. I think I have not been spending as much time, putting in the extra effort in reaching out as I used to due to my heavy work commitments and the ORA softball thingy that popped up since last year - sometimes I just felt too tired to ra-ra like I used to.

But this afternoon I caught my kid is an uncharacteristic mode.
Hey, what's wrong?
Nothing lah.
No , Really. Something is troubling you. Tell me about it lah.
I don't like E.
Why?.......

We sat down and talked about it and I could literally feel his indignation brimming at the edge of his body, choking in spurts as he relate the betrayal or what he saw as being accused of taking a puff and also his desire to not to disappoint his social worker while trying not to be difficult with the team when pple are trying so hard this afternoon to get things going. In sch, he would have flared up and give attitude to everyone.

I am sure it is all a misunderstanding. I am sure E did not mean it that way and neither is your social worker angry. Trust me. Can you forgive E this time because I know it is all unintented. Give your heart some room.

This kid. All he wanted was trust and the acceptance of him from pple around him. It was kinda funny when I think back on my conversation with him. He, not being eloquent, speaks in bits of Mandarin and English haltingly and it affects me alot when I speak to him fluently. It disturbed me because I did not want to project a superior image and I started to be very conscious of how I speak to him. When I reflected back, it dawned upon me that I was just being ridiculous, stemming from my own insecurities because I am not the only one accepting them. They are also accepting me too for who I am. As friends, we accept and respect one another. This Thursday, we are going to have breakfast together.

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I gave A a t-shirt I bought for him in Chiangmai. Two years after our trip to Khao Lak for tsunamis relief work when he brought me along for a display of his bargaining skills with shopkeeper to buy the shirt (only to find out there is no size in the end), he did not expect me to remember it but I did. So my 'Good Boy' sheepishly said thanks.