Guest Blogger: Meghan Keys
There is a trend afoot in which guest bloggers neglect to write their own bios even when we threaten that we’ll write something ourselves. Could it be that folks like Meghan Keys feel confident handing over control in this manner, knowing that there is nothing bad we can say about her? If so, she is right. Meghan Keys, by way of introduction, is constantly energetic, extremely witty, and is pretty much universally loved. She also is something of a superhero as she lives right around the corner from 826CHI and has, on not a few occasions, darted over to save the day when we’re short on volunteers.
Dreams really do come true at 826CHI, both literally and figuratively.
My most vivid high school memory is one of heartbreak. At 17, I was denied a prom date by the geeky jazz band musician who worked at the local video rental store. His reasoning, “I just think Prom is overrated,” which I now deduce to his futile attempt at being cool. My prom queen dream had been shattered by those words and I, in turn, spent my senior Prom weekend in Decatur Illinois where I witnessed my first moon-reflecting-off-water moment. The body of water - a retention pond from a canning factory. The moon - a security flood light, but if you squinted enough it totally looked like the moon. (What would life be without imagination?)
Due to this life altering moment, something just felt off and had continued on this way for the next eight years. However, there was a part of me that hoped some day my prom dream would come true. Lo and behold about a month ago Leah, Mara, the interns and other hard-workers at 826CHI made my dreams come true at the “826CHI: One Night of Magic” benefit prom.
Not only has 826CHI provided a 25 year old with her first “Prom Night” and a much improved story to tell, this organization has benefited me and other countless people in so many ways. The most important dream come true for me at 826 is a sense of purpose.
Right out of college, like many new graduates, I was truly ready to take on the world; however, like many people who graduated from a state school with an English and Writing degree, I ended up in with a job in sales. I started getting into the swing of working a 9 to 5 and honestly believed that the drudge of monotony my life was becoming would be just fine because everyone I encountered on my daily routine seemed to feel the same way. I started to get too comfortable and I stopped writing. This was a bad idea.
When I found out that 826CHI was opening around the corner from my house I took this as the light at the end of the tunnel and headed into 1331 N Milwaukee as soon as I could get my shoes on. (Not literally: this a figurative moment. I had to wait a few days for a training session but when that day did come I sprinted to the space.)
I was immediately greeted by a bright orange wall and a smiling faces that seemed to say “Thank you for showing up.” This was the day I met Mara. I knew I was going to like this place. All the volunteers seemed so eager, nice and intelligent. The atmosphere was so much more conducive than the 9 to 5 cubicle I was used to experiencing.
And it only got better. I immediately started TAing and along with this came laughter. That’s the best part of working with kids: the laughter that emanates out of them is just contagious. No matter what my day brings, stepping into the green and orange clad space brings a smile to my face. The energetic creativity of all the kids that come into 826CHI is truly inspirational. And now, I have a purpose on this planet every time I am there to see the smile appear on a students face when they suddenly realize they too have a story to tell and an open-eared audience to listen.
I never in my life thought that I would deal with such creative beings of such a shortened height. I can remember working as a TA for a workshop of junior high students where one of the students forgot his journal on the second day. He was so eager to participate and write along with the rest of us. He tapped me on the arm and whispered “Hey, can I use a classroom assignment and turn it into fiction?” He then continued to turn a paragraph essay about the Patriot Act into a fiction piece. While writing he called me over and said, “Are we going to read these aloud? Cause I think we’ll need to warn all the Republicans.” His story became an expression of a lofty dream, but a darn good one.
A lot of the time I don’t even feel as though I am necessarily teaching the kids as much as they are teaching me. Young and uncorrupted, they won’t let social cues interfere with what they think and want to say. This makes for some amazing stories about crushes on basketball players with love letters hand written into the book or stories where all the characters are named Bob and everyone dies in the end due to a Monster Truck Rally or killer penguins.
I can remember feeling like a nervous parent when the kids read at Printers Row Book Fair. I then felt like a proud parent as the students signed autographs afterwards, thinking how cool they are looked, so professional. It was a dream most of them didn’t even realize they had.
But in all seriousness, literally and figuratively, it has been a dream come true getting to know the kids at 826, the volunteers, Mara, and Leah. You guys are so much better then watching a flood light reflecting on a retention pond!