As I predicted in my article of a week ago, Feb. 23 was a busy day in NB. And coming off an extremely hectic week, all I wanted to do Saturday morning was lounge in bed. But I had to get down to the fire hall in NB in time for Don Brown’s award presentation and then on to a number of other events that day. Thinking I would be late, I drove a little faster than I should have, but made it to North Branch with minutes to spare. Thank goodness there are people who are more behind than me. As we waited for Cong. Oberstar to arrive, I enjoyed a few moments of idleness.
There was an impressive showing of support and love for a former fire chief; with a lot of handshaking, hugging, and well wishing going on. And speeches, wonderful speeches about the good man. It is amazing how a person can be so esteemed in his hometown.
I snapped pictures and then I hurried off to the high school for the economic summit, another worthy community event and several hours later was on my way home again. But only for a short while. As darkness settled on the bare corn field out behind my house, I hopped in my car and headed down to NB again, this time to see what the National Honor Student were up to, having been informed of a project that would find the young people spending the night sleeping outside in cardboard boxes. And indeed, there they were, clearing spots in the snow with shovels, laying down tarps, making housing selections from an assortment of boxes, some assembled, some not. Duct tape and plastic and blankets and pillow and rolled up sleeping bags were everywhere. There were barrels with fires of scrap wood and cardboard. In the light of those barrel fires, and eventually, the moon, the young people erected a cardboard town much like those in which the homeless of our country spend their nights.
There was excitement, there was laughter, but there was also the anticipation that these young people were about to learn a lesson in reality – life on the street, in the middle of winter, can be harsh. That reality, which one can only sample on a night like this, is that there is no warm home to go into, no comfortable bed to snuggle in and no nutritious meal from a well-stocked kitchen. Food may come from a soup kitchen, a garbage can, or not at all. The donated soup from Taher helped with this lesson. Teeth don’t get brushed, clothes don’t get washed. Hair isn’t washed or even combed. Everything one owns is on one’s back or in the bag or box one totes everywhere.
It was the fact that these high school students were willing to put themselves through this, even paying for the privilege of sleeping in their corrugated bedrooms, that impressed me. They didn’t have to do it. Heaven knows, on a Saturday night they have other things to do.
But that’s the kind of behavior I see in the young people all around us, in the schools at North Branch and Rush City, in the scouts and the 4-H programs, and the youth groups in local churches. It’s all good, really, really good.
Do yourself a favor and carefully read our Youth page each week. It’s full of the good things our children and young adults are doing. And next time you ask “What’s the matter with the kids these days?” you’ll already have the answer. “Nothing! They’re wonderful!”
Near 11 p.m. Saturday night I eased myself onto my bed, slowly laid back and placed my weary head on my two soft pillows. My toes had finally warmed from my stint at the cardboard village. I reached down and grabbed the corners of my down blanket and pulled it slowly up to my chin savoring the moment of comfort. Every muscle in a body that had been stressed out all day was put to rest. I was exhausted, mentally and physically.
And I was glad I wasn’t trying to find warmth and comfort in a cardboard box to make it through a cold winter’s night.
Look for these courageous kids who accepted this challenge, they’ll be the ones wearing the T-shirts that say something like “I slept out in a box and all I got was this stupid T-shirt.”
Students participating in the Sleep in a Box event:
AJ Besch, Alex Sundly, Alexa Chouinard, Alexis Tatarek, Alyssa Artz, Amanda Johnson, Amanda Steele, Ashley Johnson, Ashley Kroschel, Ashley Mages, Barbara Frich, Bonnie Haslach, Branden Johnson, Brian Swenson, Caitlyn Forrest, Cassie Saunders, Chris Simon, Crystal Miller, Dani Privatsky, Darren Brooke, Douglas Jorgenson, Drew Lundquist, Elise Holmstrom, Emily Anderson, Emily Byrne, Emma Haas, Eric Berggren, Holly Ramberg, Janine Philipsen, Jessica Klow, Jessica Miska, Kaitlyn Atkins, Karisa Richard, Karissa Barsness, Kassandra Kiester, Katie Wicklund, Kortney Holbrook, Luke Anderson, Madeline MacKenzie, Maria Atkins, Marissa Husnik, Melissa Buchholz, Nicole Stark, Rachel Souther, Rachel Torgerson, Raechelle Lord, Ryan Schwab, Sarah Byrne, Shayna Gray, Steph Saxe, Taylor Perreault, Tony Foy, Zach Jacobson, Zach Mattson.
Chaperones: Dede Besch, Roberta Backus, Donald Scheele, Paul Anderson, Dana Johnson, Kevin Atkins, Chris Kelly
NHS Advisors: Dave and Jan Kozlovsky
 |
