Pipeline and Tableau

This afternoon was an opportunity to spend another beautiful day on the pitch with some of the most grateful and optimistic kids ever. This week was, unfortunately, my last week with them. After working with them for a few weeks, I realized that unlike most kids, the smallest things in life puts a smile on their faces. One of my favorite part of the whole experience was how excited they got every time they saw me juggling the soccer ball. For me, it is not a big deal. I have been doing it since I can remember, it is natural to me. However, it is entirely different for this kids. It seems as though that it is the highlight of their day. They love and appreciate every second of it.

After this experience, I think that I am going to take  two things away: being thankful and appreciative. Since I started playing soccer I’ve always been prone to injuries. My reaction is usually not the best when it happens. I tend to get angry about the situation, at times even depression comes in. After working with Pipeline, my approach is definitely going to change. Some of these incredibly special kids were never giving the opportunity to kick a soccer ball; however, they take joy in watching me play. With that in mind, I am going to be thankful and appreciative of ever second that I get to play. And when I’m injury, I will stay positive about the situation because being out for a few months is nothing like being out for a lifetime.

I think my experience with Pipeline and the poem Tableau have the concept of innocent and accepting. Tableau talks about how two boys are walking together: one is black, and the other is white. The idea of racism makes people question their friendship. However, the boys do not care about their thoughts. There are two reasons for this. The first being, no child is born a racist. Racism is something that society teaches us. The next is accepting, they accept each other for what’s on the inside rather than the color of their skin. While working with the kids at Pipeline, they seem so innocent and accepting. When I first got there, my first thought was “I am going to be working with special need kids.” They are innocent but also accepting of that. They don’t see themselves as special need kids. They don’t wish that they could do what other kids can do because they were never exposed to it.