Bisbee at night

I stayed at school until 7pm, getting grades put into the grade book. This is something I should have done a week ago but just didn't have time to do. I still haven't gotten everything done.

The teacher who said she would help show me how to work with the database program "After I run a quick errand in town" never came by. I sat in my office, with C-SPAN on the overhead TV broadcasting the Senate Finance Committee, headed by Barney Franks, talk about the $700 billion bail-out bill that the Senate passed today. I sat in my lighted corner working on student papers.

This is the only time when the classroom is quiet.

Jimmy the custodian was the only one working, going carefully from room to room to secure the building for the weekend. He let me out as I departed. He's such a nice man. We talked briefly about dogs and children; his German shepherd dog disappeared a few weeks ago during our last storm.

I wouldn't have stayed late without someone else in the building, as I found out the school is closer to the border than I thought.

The waning moon was setting low over the East as I left the parking lot. What an eerie feeling to see the towns of Mexico so close.

I couldn't see much while driving except for the weeds that were lighted in my lights as I sped on by. The seeding heads of Lovegrass swayed in the winds along the road, and glistened a bright grey in my headlights.

The lighted border along Naco stood out. I am so close to the border and I got to see Bisbee from a different perspective.

I am still working at the school, slowly getting to these kids. How long I will be here is unknown, but I will do my best to get these kids educated. There are a few young people who've touched my heart. They are in the majority, actually. But there are also a few gangbanger wannebees who terrorize the rest of the school kids into submission. These bullies demand to have others help them out on tests, cover for them, and do things for them. The victims are too afraid to say anything. I've certainly gotten a different perspective of Bisbee now that I've been working for three weeks.

Gangs and drugs ARE prevalent. Talking to these kids has made me realized how many problems the community has. The parents are mostly locals who know other kids since Kindergarten. Many of the kids have incarcerated parents, missing dads, missing moms...and yet there are a few who despite the hardships are still good kids. It's those kids I love the most.