A Tiny Bit

Volunteers on a lunch break.

The youngster sat on the curb and voiced his frustration. “I’m not doing anything useful. I’m just pulling weeds and hauling garbage.”

I’m doing that, too.

“Why can’t I help you? I want to use a hammer.”

You can’t step into the buildings because of the insurance. The insurance doesn’t allow kids to be on the site. Once some children probably got hurt, and their parents sued Habitat for Humanity for a lot of money. Habitat needs money for materials, not lawsuits.

“But I want to do something important.”

You are doing something important. Building a house is more than hammering and sawing and painting. Someone has to clean up the outside and pick up the trash. The guy who installs the balcony is no better than the guy pushing the wheelbarrow; each has given eight hours of his time. Do you think that they’re doing it for recognition?

“No.”

Are they getting any money?

“No.”

So why are they here? Why are you here?

“To build a house for people who don’t have a house….?”

Yes. You gave up your Saturday to help somebody, instead of playing games or going to the movies. I’m proud of you.

My brief sojourn into the Socratic method had reached a dead end. With young teens there’s a limit to subtlety and inductive reasoning. You have to tell ‘em, then show ‘em, then tell ‘em again and hope a tiny bit sticks. © 2006 Stephen Yuen

Building Five Homes, in Daly City. 15 Peninsula churches participated.