"Where I Do and Don't Belong" by Tyler

As you know, our kids are all home schooled. This week Tyler, our youngest, had to write an assignment in response to a situation in a book that he's reading for Literature. The main characters of the book are searching for a place where they belong. The prompt said to choose any format that you'd like to talk about finding a place to belong. Tyler wrote a great response and as I read it, I thought that several of our friends would enjoy reading it as well.

So, I asked Tyler if I could post it here. I promised him that none of you would be judging him or his writing ability. Writing is definitely one of the areas in which he struggles, but he's making progress. Without further ado, here's Tyler's paper:

Where I Do and Don`t Belong

Texas is where I was born and raised. I went to public school up to third grade, then was home schooled, which helped me overcome my weaknesses. Shockingly, before I was 13, my family moved to Uganda, Africa to live across the road from a school. We all love it but blending in can be difficult. It may sound crazy, but it’s possible to belong and not belong at the same place at the same time.

Moving across the world enlightens you on all the ways that you don’t belong. I don’t know the language. I don’t know their sense of humor. I don’t know why they do the things they do. On top of all that, if you put me in a crowd of one million Ugandans, you will still be able to find me; pretty easily, actually. No matter where we go, kids are always pointing at the mazungu, which means white man. I have been here for a year now and I still get pointed at. Now, don`t get me wrong; I love the attention, but it makes me feel like my shirt is inside out or something. It’s like I`m a toy and every kid points at me because they really want to buy me. Like I said, love the attention, but a little annoying. So, moving across the world brings to surface all the obvious ways you don’t belong. 

Now, let me tell you why I would say I do belong here. I love the kids at the school and they love me. We enjoy playing every free moment. Living in the middle of nowhere makes me feel free because there’s lots of space to run around and act like a crazy person. My brother and I taught the boys a game called commando and we play it every Sunday night. They love it so much. When I wake up in the morning, the sounds from the classrooms bring back memories of my younger days. I love that everyone at the school accepted us with open hearts and now we know everyone there. It’s wacky how many ways you discover that you do belong.

All in all, I learned that it is possible to belong and not belong at the same place at the same time. Uganda, Africa is where I do and don’t belong. You might not fit in one way but fit in another way. The way you do fit in is the way that matters.