Each day during the week I walk through Japan Town, the Fillmore, and parts of the Western Addition. The Raymond Kimball Playground has recently received a much needed makeover and is now alive with kids and coaches. The evenings are filled with activities of every sport; soccer, rugby, baseball, football, and track. There are children of every color and age group. Each evening I see a slender young woman at the pitching mound. She throws ball after ball in an amazing display of underhand fastball. Her coach/mentor/adult catches the balls and returns each with soft words of encouragement. She makes subtle adjustments and throws again. Each morning there are joggers, walkers, a few dogs, and the resident homeless on the playing fields and on the adjacent park benches and grass. As I come out of the park and walk up O'Farrell St.I pass the newly re-furbished San Francisco Bay Academy, a top ranked middle school for grades 5 through 8. There website says their Mission is to prepare their students to "succeed in college preparatory high schools, colleges, and the world beyond". Now that school has started back, I see so many fresh faced youngsters arriving at this school by 7 AM,carrying books, backpacks, and musical instruments. They arrive by car, on foot, by bus and skateboard and bike. I see the future in them - it is written on their beautiful young faces as they reluctantly say good bye to parents and eagerly greet their friends. I can't help wonder who will be the lucky ones to actually make it to college. Sometimes I make up a Homelife and a future for them, using my daily observations and my imagination. This Scholarship fund could be the turning point for any one of these children or countless others like them in our beautiful city. This walk is my daily reminder of why I am doing this.
No comments:
Post a Comment