Serendipity

I had the privilege to be a part of Martin Middle School's inaugural story night.  This is an event that Carmen Williams, Martin's librarian, has wanted to do for quite some time. Finally, her dream came to fruition. It was exciting to see her plans and dreams unfold to a night of success.

I have difficulty describing the sweetness that permeates the environment at Martin. It is something I think you have to breathe in and allow it to envelop your being. I wish I could capture the emotions and find the words to describe how I feel when I am there. Tonight was no different. Families love their school and neighborhood. The staff and teachers love the students and their families and want them to be successful.  Martin is a place that speaks encouragement and understanding to the the obstacles that the majority of their student's face.  It speaks hope and resilience to fragility and weariness.

Watching Carmen was an experience in and off itself. She was, as to be expected, nervous. You have a dream or vision and you can only hope that others will be on board and that participation will confirm the need.   As families entered the building, you sensed this anticipation of something exciting on the horizon.  From infants to teens, the enthusiasm in watching story tellers, making book marks and puppets, and sharing a meal was uncontainable.

For many of us, we take story night for granted. We read stories to our children every day; we lounge in our favorite chair and enjoy the latest bestseller,  and we download our next read on our iPad.  We roam through the library as though it is our home. For the families at Martin, this is not the norm. Many of them have no access to the internet, have no favorite author to follow, and do not have a library card because they lack a  permanent address. Imagine you have no home, books within your home and you don't speak English and yet, you want all that is available for your children.

 Magically, or so it seems, a night like this happens and you have the opportunity to see your children growing in knowledge and love for books.

I  am moved to tears by what I see happening at Martin. It speaks volumes to my spirit as I face the end of another semester.  I am inspired and reminded that this is why I am at the University of Texas.  I have to chuckle as I ponder my luck to be working on an oral history project with Martin. I am their facilitator for oral history and yet, they are my lifeline of confirmation to press on to the goals I have set before me.  My desire is to bring tools to children to be successful in spite of the obstacles. In comparison to what I have already gleaned from Martin,  I can only hope that I will be able to give back as much as I have received.

Serendipity....Meeting Genevieve, a UT student studying library science, who just happened to be at story night because one of her peers volunteers at Martin. Genevieve went to Martin 19 years ago. We had a delightful conversation regarding her experiences and I look forward to further interviews with her as we move through oral history startup and completion,  Another beautiful accident, meeting Polly. Polly worked at Martin and has lived in the Holly Street neighborhood for over forty years.  Excitement is an understatement as I conversed with two women who have a wealth of information regarding this community and school.