Interviews

Tomorrow I start interviewing youth for the Winter 09 crew.  I have like 25 interviews in two days.  It's kind of crazy.  And, I dunno, I think I might have said this in previous blogs, but I am the only one who gets to meet and talk to these kids before crew starts.  I am the one who decides who gets hired.  It is a lot of pressure.  But I am not stressed about it.  I am super excited about it.  I get to hear their stories and sit and listen to them talk about themselves.  I think the interview itself is the first step in empowering these kids.  We're not just giving them something like a lot of other agencies.  They have to take responsibility for themselves.  And they get to talk about the good things that they have done and brag about themselves while someone listens intently to them.  This is rare.

But at the same time, I have so much power in this situation.  I have the power to give them a job and an income or not.  There is definitely a power difference in the conversation.  I need to be aware of this as I am conducting these interviews.  Power itself is not bad.  I just need to make sure I don't use the power I have over them in a bad way.  I need to be responsible with the power I do have.  Because after all I did not earn this power that I have.

Mostly, though, I feel privileged to hear their stories.  I feel honored to sit across from them and ask them questions.  I get to listen to them and learn from them.  How did I get such a great job?  It is going to be an excellent day.  Intense but excellent.  I think I have like 10 or so interviews tomorrow.  That's just a lot of hard, deep, intense stories to hear from these kids and I'm sure I will be exhausted.  I need to make sure to get my runs in so as to not hold onto their stories.  Oh man, but it's so good and I'm so excited.  These kids are great.  Like really.  I am not just saying that.  These kids are some of the most awesome people I have met in my life.  Just really solid human beings.  And I get to hear from them; get to hear their uniqueness and wisdom.  I get to.  Me.  GET to.  I.  How did this happen?  I am so privileged.  For real.  It's just awesome.