I have a special place in my heart for kids who don't fit into the mold of "normal".
Whatever that means anyway.
Having been a bit of an odd kid myself I think I have a little more empathy to what they are going through.
A young girl came into the shop today...skinny little thing. She reminded me a Arya from Game of Thrones. Her hair was buzzed all around except for a long patch on the left side of her head that swooped down over her eyes. A little tomboyish. She wore a patterned orange and red sleeveless top that was way too big for her, and a green shirt under that. Her black jeans were all frayed at the ends. The tongues of her lime green and orange sneakers were pulled all the way forward, no laces. Her backpack looked like it weighed more than she did. In one hand she held a can of soda and in the other she perched a blue umbrella over her shoulder and had a fistful of change.
She walked in and said a little "Hi!".
I said "Hi!" back.
Normally when I get kids in the shop I watch them very closely. I've had a few mini-shoplifters over the years...so I just like to let them know that I am watching them in case they get tempted.
"School will be out for summer soon. Are you excited?" I asked her.
"Yeah...next week. I am kinda excited." She replied.
I asked her what she will be doing during the summer time and she told me that she loves to read books, and she's obsessed with You Tube video's on how to make things with clay. She loves art and likes to do all kinds of different art things but right now she is mostly working on making lots of little things out of clay.
Her name is Lucy and she is quite talkative!
Lucy told me that she was in my store before..."Like a couple of years ago when we first moved here" she said. "I remember because I liked the art you have in here. Actually I like everything you have in here."
"Well thank you very much Lucy, I appreciate that!"
I think it's fair to say at this point that Lucy is a really cool kid!
I asked her what grade was she going into next year. She said she hoped it would be sixth, but her grades weren't that good so she may get held back.
Trying to be positive I told her that being held back may not be too bad because next year you'll know everything you did this year so it should be easier for you.
"Do you like school?" I asked her.
"I like some parts of it" she told me, "at least I don't get made fun of as bad in this school as I did in my other school before I moved here."
"Well don't let them get to you Lucy because in the long run it doesn't matter what other kids say to you or if they tease you."
"Yeah, I know that's what my Mom says, but sometimes it does."
Ugh...of course it does.
I wish at that moment I had some great moment of adult words of wisdom to tell Lucy, but what can you say? "It's just words, ignore them." "Don't worry this won't last forever." "Sorry you have to go through this, kids can be cruel." As an adult we can look back at childhood and realize what a short period of time it really was, but when you are a kid going through it...it seems like an eternity.
My sense is that Lucy is that kind of kid that likes being different and unique and I think that will carry her through the tough years.
We talked about art in school and she really likes it. I asked her if there was an art club in her school and she said Yes, but she didn't like it. Apparently they were making a paper mural to be hung in the school and she painted a little bunny because she is "obsessed with bunnies and all kinds of animals but mostly bunnies right now" and the next time art club met, the bunny she painted was painted over with a tree because it didn't fit the theme of the mural.
"So I hate art club now."
My adult brain was busy trying to process what kind of art club would paint over something a child made.
Lucy meanwhile moved on to the next subject: elephants
"You have a lot of elephants in your store."
"Yes, I do! Elephants are good luck and a lot of people seem to like them."
Lucy nodded and seemed to contemplate this. She told me she tried to make one out of clay one time but her brother squished it.
"Brother's happen" I told her.
"Mine happen a lot", she said.
I like Lucy.
We chatted a bit more and then she said to me: "Thank you. I really like your shop."
"Thank you Lucy, I've enjoyed talking to you today and I hope you come back and visit me again soon!"
Lucy smiled and said she would.
I really hope she does.
