My first day volunteering at an architectural “boot camp” for youth in grades 6 to 9. I wasn’t surprised by their talents and cleverness. What caught my interest was that one kid. You know that that one who is the probably the brightest in the class, who refuses everything you ask him/her to do, constantly distracts the others and needs your full attention.

“I don’t want to make or build anything. ”

“But your parents are coming tomorrow to hear your presentation? Don’t you want to show them what you made?”

“They won’t be coming tomorrow. They have better things to do then this…”

Looking at his sorrowful eyes as he made that comment, my heart started to ache.

Fortunately that moment only lasted about 3 seconds before he got distracted and went goofing around with his friends.

At the end, he managed to cooperate and built a model like everyone else. I also discovered his talent in drawing. He had a collection of pigs taking on different human personas in his sketchbook.

His parents didn’t show up for the presentations. His mom was the last to pick him up…