and where does peace come in??

Issues of the day:
Conversations with Kelvin Franco, seven year old.
G:I want you to do this work (working on a reading comprehension assignment)
K: I don't want to. It's boring.
G: You need to learn to read to do things in the world.
K: But it's boring. I wanna go home.
G:Do you have any friends in this class?
K:No.
G:What do you do at recess?
K:Run around.
G:What does your mom do?
K:Works for the world bank.
G:What does your dad do?
K:I don't have a dad.
G:Do you have a father figure? Does your mom have a boyfriend or husband?
K:No.
My grandma had a heart attack last week.
G:How's she doing? Did she have heart damage?
K: Ok. There was some.
G:Do you have a grandpa?
K: Yea. But he's not a good guy.
G:Why's that?
K: He drinks too much beer.
G:What do you do at home, Kelvin?
K: I watch TV.
G:Do you do anything else?
K: Play video games.
G: What do you want to be when you grow up?
K: I wanna rob people.
G: You mean you want to steal stuff?
K: Yeah, I wanna steal stuff, and to stab and kill people.

This is where he lost me. And I stayed out in the hall longer than he did. I was lost in this answer. What fills someone up with anger so much that all they want to do with their life is take and take?
Kelvin had some happiness during the rest of the day, but it was based on fooling around and taking things that he found funny that he did to break the rules that made him smile. And it didn't stop him from getting in a fight with one of his classmates right after recess, in the classroom. I had to call security. Partly because that's how they handle it, and partly because Kelvin hit the other kid. And had rage in his eyes. In the computer lab later, when he was supposed to be playing math games, he was on Yahoo with the friend which he hit (they made up quickly) and looking at the bra ad on Yahoo page.

The whole day was rather stressful, because I learned that you can't get people to do work that they don't want to do. And that was really frustrating for me, because i know that I'm always going to want to do the work, to please the other person, and I cannot understand why they don't want to do it.

The kids love me more than I could ask for. They always want me to sit next to them. They want me to check their work, and help them with assignments. They want me to tie their shoes and go with them to go get ice for their ankles. When we were making up a story while sitting on the carpet in the classroom, I had three people leaning on me/laying on me/ trying to lay on me. It was completely adorable. I couldn't ask for more. I love that they love me. And I love them. Even if I have a headache. And the nurse in the school doesn't have any medication for me.

I biked to and from Garrison today. I was debating it on and off--I'm stilll a little sick, in different ways, it seems, and it's getting to me, but I really wanted to do it, and the Mennonite in me wanted to save some money. And it was good to get some exercise and see some more of the city.

Today was better than Tuesday with the control, but it seemed like there was more noise, although less people were there. There was more accomplished, but at the same time, I was weary of Mr. Abdullah not being there for me to learn from. Today made me not want to be a teacher. Today made me want to be a Social Worker. Or a Counselor.

I love kids either way. I'm working to not be an insomniac now.