A few years ago I was sitting alone in my office thinking about life and mortality and what matters and what doesn't. I thought to myself I don't do enough for others. Thinking of ideas, I decided to contact the big brother/big sister program. A bunch of paperwork and background checks later they called me and said they had a kid close to me, but he was very young... Only 7. After some hesitation because I wasn't sure how to handle someone that young, I said ok and I've been his "big brother" for 6 years now. He is now a teenager. It's been a very interesting experience. I could say a lot, but I don't want to write a novel here so I'll just tell you guys some memorable parts.
The second day we went out, he said "david can I ask you a question?"... I said sure, thinking here I get to be the mentor now and got all ready for it. He looked at me and said "what's a lap dance?"... LOL.... ok just throw me into the deep end of the pool kid.
A few years later, I broke up with my girlfriend. He and I would always get pizza, and he said "david, are you sad?"... I said "yeah, a little bit"... He got all quiet which he never is, then said "do you want my pizza bubble?" because I had told him 6 months ago I liked the burnt bubbles on pizza dough. Felt like with all his might he wanted to make me feel better. It was really cool.
One day recently, we were late to a movie. He asked for popcorn money. I give him the only bill in my wallet, a $50. I wait in the ticket line, he goes to get popcorn. Mistakingly, I had said "get whatever you want". When I got to the stand, he had purchased a large popcorn, pizza, a large coke, sour patch kids, m&m's, nachos, some sort of round chocolate candy, and to keep it healthy for me, a bottle of water. To the tune of $46 and something cents, and he handed me back some change. LOL.... I was going to be upset, but he looked at me and said "you said get anything I want!!".
One day I was at his house fixing his mom's computer. She's a really good mom, but she does not talk much as English isn't her first language. She came into the room and said "does he ever tell you what you mean to him?"... I said "yes". She said "well he always talks about you. And he always says david does it this way, david does it that way". Then she said "has he ever told you how his dad died?" I said no. So she tells me this story about how the poor guy woke up in the morning, had a heart attack, and fell over on the ground. Being only 40 something years old. She was at work already, and no one knew until hours later. Then a telemarketer calls the house, and my "little brother" picks up the phone. She asks for his dad, he goes into the room, runs back to the phone (he is 6) and says to the telemarketer he isn't moving. She tells him to go back and see if he's breathing, then he comes back and says no. Now she tells a crying and hysterical kid to hang up and call 911. Later that night, the telemarketer calls back the house on her own time, wanting to know what happened. His mom says that her husband didn't make it. The telemarketer cries and says that while she was on hold, she could hear this 6 year old boy crying and screaming at the top of his lungs "daddy don't leave me, daddy please don't leave me". She says "maybe you don't think you have that big of an influence on him, but it is very big". Now I am stunned hearing this story, and frankly, I am having a hard time holding back my tears. I never looked at what I did with him the same way again. It took on a whole new importance.
Lately he is talking to girls and it's a new subject for him that he brings up with hesitation. He told me a few months ago about how he was on the phone with this girl for 3 hours on with another girl for 4. Again, during pizza. Hearing this I feel the need to step in and as he is going on and on, I tell him to put his pizza down because I wanted to tell him something important. He puts his pizza down and I said to him "look. You're a guy. You're not a chick. You stay on the phone for 10, maybe 15 minutes tops. Then you wrap it up, and hang up. If they want to hear more, then they can hear it in person". I was very assertive not sure how he would take it. Argue, question, etc. he looks at me and says "OK david" and goes right back to his pizza. I had no idea I had such power. LOL...
He loves my nsx, and I've picked him up from school in it. I made him the coolest kid at school that day. He loves going fast and thinks the NSX is the best car ever as.... it obviously is. Can't imagine what it would be like without him in my life. I'm not a dad, but I have a great dad, and I think it sucks he doesn't have one. I'm glad that at least he has someone to ask what a lap dance is. Maybe this will motivate someone else to do something similar. And if you have a cool story with your son or your dad post about it.
The second day we went out, he said "david can I ask you a question?"... I said sure, thinking here I get to be the mentor now and got all ready for it. He looked at me and said "what's a lap dance?"... LOL.... ok just throw me into the deep end of the pool kid.
A few years later, I broke up with my girlfriend. He and I would always get pizza, and he said "david, are you sad?"... I said "yeah, a little bit"... He got all quiet which he never is, then said "do you want my pizza bubble?" because I had told him 6 months ago I liked the burnt bubbles on pizza dough. Felt like with all his might he wanted to make me feel better. It was really cool.
One day recently, we were late to a movie. He asked for popcorn money. I give him the only bill in my wallet, a $50. I wait in the ticket line, he goes to get popcorn. Mistakingly, I had said "get whatever you want". When I got to the stand, he had purchased a large popcorn, pizza, a large coke, sour patch kids, m&m's, nachos, some sort of round chocolate candy, and to keep it healthy for me, a bottle of water. To the tune of $46 and something cents, and he handed me back some change. LOL.... I was going to be upset, but he looked at me and said "you said get anything I want!!".
One day I was at his house fixing his mom's computer. She's a really good mom, but she does not talk much as English isn't her first language. She came into the room and said "does he ever tell you what you mean to him?"... I said "yes". She said "well he always talks about you. And he always says david does it this way, david does it that way". Then she said "has he ever told you how his dad died?" I said no. So she tells me this story about how the poor guy woke up in the morning, had a heart attack, and fell over on the ground. Being only 40 something years old. She was at work already, and no one knew until hours later. Then a telemarketer calls the house, and my "little brother" picks up the phone. She asks for his dad, he goes into the room, runs back to the phone (he is 6) and says to the telemarketer he isn't moving. She tells him to go back and see if he's breathing, then he comes back and says no. Now she tells a crying and hysterical kid to hang up and call 911. Later that night, the telemarketer calls back the house on her own time, wanting to know what happened. His mom says that her husband didn't make it. The telemarketer cries and says that while she was on hold, she could hear this 6 year old boy crying and screaming at the top of his lungs "daddy don't leave me, daddy please don't leave me". She says "maybe you don't think you have that big of an influence on him, but it is very big". Now I am stunned hearing this story, and frankly, I am having a hard time holding back my tears. I never looked at what I did with him the same way again. It took on a whole new importance.
Lately he is talking to girls and it's a new subject for him that he brings up with hesitation. He told me a few months ago about how he was on the phone with this girl for 3 hours on with another girl for 4. Again, during pizza. Hearing this I feel the need to step in and as he is going on and on, I tell him to put his pizza down because I wanted to tell him something important. He puts his pizza down and I said to him "look. You're a guy. You're not a chick. You stay on the phone for 10, maybe 15 minutes tops. Then you wrap it up, and hang up. If they want to hear more, then they can hear it in person". I was very assertive not sure how he would take it. Argue, question, etc. he looks at me and says "OK david" and goes right back to his pizza. I had no idea I had such power. LOL...
He loves my nsx, and I've picked him up from school in it. I made him the coolest kid at school that day. He loves going fast and thinks the NSX is the best car ever as.... it obviously is. Can't imagine what it would be like without him in my life. I'm not a dad, but I have a great dad, and I think it sucks he doesn't have one. I'm glad that at least he has someone to ask what a lap dance is. Maybe this will motivate someone else to do something similar. And if you have a cool story with your son or your dad post about it.
. Glad to see you're still doing it!
