Yesterday for work, I went to Jackson to photograph an open house for one of our sites.

I am not a photographer, but they bought me a super fancy camera that makes me look like I know what I'm doing.

Most of our open house events draw 7-10 people.  This one, by the time it was all over, drew over 80, in my estimation.  Was it the offer of free food?  Were the numbers bumped by the GED teacher bringing her entire class, as did the Health Department with their class nearby?  It was great to get a lot of people into the resource center and check out what we have to offer.  However, in that great mash of people zooming through the buffet, the children got lost.  And they're our main reason for being there in the first place.

So, I went into the model classroom.  Two girls who were tired of the hubbub were playing in the block center and the dramatic play center.  When I pulled out the camera, the girl in dramatic play hammed it up.  The serious child in the block center wouldn't look at me, she just kept creating a long line of triangular blocks.  I talked to both of them, took photos, and then met Jordi.  She's older -- a tween, there with some adults and one of the little girls, just sitting to the side.  She was wearing a shirt emblazoned with "California" on the front.  We struck up a conversation.  About California (she was from Glendora, where my great aunt and cousins live), about living in MS, etc.  Nothing special. 

Or so I thought until she pulled out her VIDEO CAMERA because she wanted to film me, so she could remember me.

See -- we never know what a little time and attention can do for someone else, especially a young person. 

I challenge you to find someone who needs a bit of a lift today, and make the time to show them *someone* is paying attention.