by Bro. S. Atkinson
02/24/03

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening, cold and gray,
To chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide --
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"
The builder lifted his old gray head:
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pit-fall be,
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."

With each community service event, my hope for the future of our people is renewed. Today, I read two African American children’s books at Bent Elementary School. The first book, “Aunt Flossie’s Hats” was a story about two young girls and the quality time that they spend with their great-great-auntie Flossie sharing stories about the aunts hat collection. Each was significant to aunt Flossie and carried with it a story that was shared with the girls during their exploration of the hats. I read this story to the captive minds of an all boys’ first and second grade class. Initially, I thought that I should have chosen some story about athletics or monster trucks. But after haven read the story, a discussion revealed the each boy could relate their own lives to the lives of the two girls and their aunt.

The second story, “Grandpa’s Face” recounted the relationship between a young girl and her grandpa. Tamika, the young girl, remembers her grandpa’s face with vivid detail and explains to us how the wrinkles, lines and gray hairs each contain small tales that created the story of his life. Both, grandpa and granddaughter enjoyed taking “talk-walks” in the park to discuss various things. I thought that the boys in Miss Mecherle’s class would not be able to relate to this story either. My initial estimates were discounted when during a post reading discussion some of the young boys offered excerpts from their lives that went with the theme of this book.

After the book discussion, we talked about future plans and about what I do for a living. Most of the boys explained how the futures would be invested in football, basketball, public service and culinary arts. I tried my best to impress upon them the importance of going to college. I made the boys promise that they would go to college when they were older.

Overall, I recommend that each brother take it upon himself to seek out some youngster and try to be a bridge builder. The children need us now more than ever. The world is filled with war, depression, and death. We need to be the beacons of light in the madness and darkness of calamity. We need to shine forth with a supernatural light…and we need to do it together!