Is black belt next? Asked the street kid tying his new yellow belt
I managed to keep a straight face while replying, No, there are a few colors in between. The naivet amused me. Yet in fairness, this group of 25 newly-minted yellow belts had been promoted in record timejust six weeks. It had been a special summer program for kids just out of juvenile hall, or expelled from district schools. An experiment.
So, I could see how they might think the whole process would be collapsed. On the other hand, Id worked them two solid hours a day, four days a week, hour-for-hour at least the equivalent of a traditional programs three one-hour classes a week for 3-6 months. There was no gimme to it. This kid had conveniently forgotten all the hard work theyd done, although some of the kids around himstill sore, stiff, and blisteredburst into laughter at his question.
Yet I sensed a dark side to this mirthful moment as we stood in the afterglow of our hard-won achievement. Sure, on the surface this students comment appeared to be merely a neophytes inexperience. But 16 years of working with street-savvy kids kept me from dismissing the pall which had fallen. What was it?...
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