Big Brother

Don’t know why I haven’t posted on this topic before, but it is something I feel pretty strongly about. I was fortunate in my life to have men to help guide me growing up. They had no obligation to me in any way, just the goodness of their heart to take time out of their lives and spend it with me. Some had families of their own, but treated me as a son or brother. My appreciation for the roles they played in my lives is hard to put into words. In the moment, I didn’t fully realize and appreciate the things that they did for me. When I first got out of school I started doing Big Brothers Big Sisters. For me it was a natural step looking back at my upbringing. Giving back in the way I received in a way feels like me showing my appreciation to those who were there for me.

The experience of working with one of these children is a very rewarding experience. It is not something that has to take up a lot of your time or money. They only ask for a couple of hours out of the month. Part of my motivation is because of the view I have of young black men in our society. I feel they need role models because often they lack that presence. How can I complain and critique what goes on in my community if I am doing nothing? One of my resolutions this year is to get back involved in the program. I’ve gotten one person that I know of to participate in the program. I hope others who read this will think about it or suggest the program to others. Our role models should not be athletes and entertainers. We need role models that are more tangible to the eyes of the youth. People who have taken the more common paths in life and are successful contributors to society.

For many my words may ring hollow because who am I? I’m not famous. Have no real voice or platform to speak from. Now that we have more respected minorities in power calling for service, hopefully the message will hit home for more people.

www.bbbs.org