My Cool Kid

On getting a child to open up, translated…

Last week, I took a group of children on a camping trip, from how we were all strangers, to the end, when it was time for us to part, none of us wanted to leave each other, I’d gotten a depth of this understanding, that children gave me a cherished feeling of accompaniment.

I’m not someone who can get really into it when I met up with a brand new group of kids right away, it’d always taken me sometime, to get acquainted with them.

That day, I’d waited by the group table for the kids to arrive, a little while later, came a very good looking, curly haired boy.  I sat next to him, excited, I’d said hello to him.  And still, he didn’t even, look my way at all.

If it were normally, I may have felt discouraged, and turned to my next “target” right away.  But, this kid had an effect on me, and so, I’d started, sticking to him, kept hounding him, talked to him.  I’d worked, really hard, to make him smile, but this cool boy, he just wouldn’t, return a word back to me.

Okay, now, I’m really feeling, defeated here, but, the activities must go on.  And, just so happens, he was the leader of our group for the day’s activities, he must lead the team, I’d accompanied beside him, and would strike up conversations every now and then, and he’d brushed me off.  Until break time, as we sat down, to enjoy our snacks, in a chance encounter, we’d started, interacting with one another, for real, for the very first time.

He pointed to an odd looking photo on the walls, said to me, “that’s you.”, I’d smiled and said no, but he’d insisted.  I’d complied with what he’d said, told him, “Yes, that is me, am I cute?”, he’d flashed me his row of teeth, shook his head toward me.  I didn’t know whether I should laugh or cry, but I’d felt really glad, that he was willing, to talk to me, to be with me!

After we’d gotten acquainted, we’d become inseparable, wherever he was, I was there too.  I’d enjoyed striking up conversation with him, asked him a ton of things, loved seeing how he looked stressed out, enjoyed every moment with him, in my company.

As the activities are nearing end, I’d waved, really hard to him goodbye, but he’d pretended not to care at all, ran around in the yard, chased with all the other children.  My eyes tracked him, I felt so unwilling, to let him go, it’s going to be two more months before we meet again.

Recalling how the moment before we parted, I’d asked him, “Will you come again?  I want to play with you, is that okay.”  He’d nodded immediately, “Sure!”

Thanks, I will be here, to fulfill, our promises to one another.

So, this, would be the experiences of a camp counselor, she’d gotten a little boy to open up to her, and, that, is an amazing person, to be able to touch someone, and, a friendship was struck up, between an adult and a child here.