29.
“I was a spoiled rotten kid until I was a teenager. My parents bought me a brand new red convertible for my 16th birthday. What I actually wanted was my older brother’s old car. (It was still at home.)
“I didn’t have to work, but I was bored and it seemed like an easy thing to do. God, I was so wrong. This day camp was meant to help families who couldn’t afford child care, especially during the summer. We served them breakfast. For many camp kids, this is the only thing they eat that day and they may not have it on Friday, so they take it home for themselves and their siblings. This really shocked me.
But what shocked me the most was this one kid who refused to take off his shoes and socks even though he was going to the public pool that day. I didn’t understand why until one day he came limping. It was as if my legs were in a lot of pain. I persuaded him to let me help him buy some shoes and socks to figure out what was bothering him.
Once I did that, it took everything in me not to break there. His socks were covered in blood. His poor little feet were bruised and his toes looked a little crooked. He was in a lot of pain with the condition of his leg. Turns out he was wearing shoes three sizes too small. His family could not afford new shoes. I took my lunch break and went to buy him a few new socks and shoes.
This was something I really needed and it was a huge shock. It changed my mindset forever. ”