This commercial always cracks me up. To start with, it’s funny, but it also happens to be true. True that guys do dumb things, but more true that guys (and ladies) who volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters to mentor a child get as much out of the experience as they give through it. I worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC for a couple of years and saw over and over how the lives of “Bigs” were transformed by what they learned from their “Littles” as the Littles were learning from their Bigs.
One of the things that Bigs often learned is that kids who grow up in poverty don’t necessarily know some of the most basic things that people who grow up in financially stable homes do. Things like how to talk with adults or people in authority (such as a potential boss.) Knowing how to dress, show up on time, and shake hands. These are all simple but important things that, if nobody teaches you, you can’t know. And if you don’t know them, you can’t teach your kids.
So Bigs teach the “how” but they also show the “why.” They show it by showing up, each week, each month, each year. They show their Littles that someone cares enough to want to help, and that means that a Little is important enough to be transformed. And in that relationship, all sorts of things can start to happen. A kid might finish high school, go to college, have his own family, and know how to pass what his Big taught him on to his kids.
Along the way, Big, Littles, and our communities are transformed. I know it works because I have seen it. And I want to support it. On February 25th, I’ll be taking part in BBBS’s “Bowl For Kids’ Sake.” Being a terrible bowler, the only thing I can hope for is strong fundraising support. Please consider making a donation on my BFKS page at http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/jdotclarkson/bowl-for-kids-sake. Not only will you get to support a great cause, but you will forever have me in your debt. And that’s what you really wanted, right?