I’ve been participating in this program through work called “Lunch Buddies.” I volunteered to go to an elementary school just down the street from my office every Wednesday to eat lunch with my two fifth grade buddies, Tabetha and Haley. It’s kind of like a mentorship thing.
Seeing as my office is basically located in the ghetto, (literally surrounded by a jail to the north, a homeless shelter to the east and a rehab facility to the south), you may be able to imagine what kinds of families the kids in this elementary school come from. They know more about drugs and violence than any fifth grader should. Though we don’t have much in common, I think Tabetha and Haley really enjoy the 45 minutes we spend together on Wednesdays.
I became overwhelmed by our conversation again this week, except this time, it wasn’t out of sadness, but out of shock. I could not believe how much they knew about Justin Bieber! No matter what I said, no matter what we were talking about, it always came back to the Biebs. Here’s a little of what I learned:
“Justin Bieber once hit his head on a revolving door and didn’t even cry!”
“Justin Bieber said that he would love to date a fan!”
“Justin Bieber had his first kiss when he was 13! I wish it would have been with me.”
“Justin Bieber’s best friend is named Christian. He once dated a girl named Caitlin — Christan’s sister!”
“Justin Bieber would date anyone he falls in love with!” (Uh, duh, who wouldn’t?)
“Justin Bieber once broke his foot while performing on stage and didn’t even miss a note!”
“Justin Bieber! Justin Bieber! Justin Bieber!”
I tried to interject a few clever Chuck Norris jokes I remembered from a couple of years back, but the girls didn’t seem to get them. Hmm.
To change the subject, I suggested we read a magazine. Haley grabbed one out of her bag. A Tiger Beat. On the cover?
Justin Bieber.
There is literally no escaping him.
Jillian Wyatt 