To the Editor:
What a wonderful article you wrote, Kareese (“How I Left…” by Kareese Akinloba, grade 8, Irving Middle School, Children’s Connection, January 1-7, 2015). Your writing ability is beyond your years. And reading it brought back so many memories. For someone at the beginning of life to someone at the other end, let me tell you to rejoice in what lies ahead. I was a happy 7-year-old when my father walked into the house in Berkeley, Calif., some 60 years ago…and announced that my mother and I were going to join him in a small town called Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela. I was not old enough to develop the ties to Berkeley that you had to Southern California but I had the 7-year-old's equivalent. This led me to a wonderful life in a new place, a new language, new friends, new experiences and while I still think at this late stage that Berkeley was "home" I know it is hardly that. The best part of every new experience is that so much of it stays with you. And so many of your friends will become friends for life. So rejoice, young lady, for before you lies a great new world with people, ideas, values and customs that you can pick and choose from. A veritable buffet of life at your fingertips. And when you reach the other end of the journey, as have I, you will have a wonderful book of memories and a great host of friends to live with. I have only two pieces of advice. Keep in touch with your friends for when they are gone that opportunity is forever lost. And see as much of this wonderful world as you possibly can. It is full of wonder and will write your pages of life that you will read and reread many years from now.
Michael Valentine
Fairfax Station
You can read Kareese’s story on page 4 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2014/123114/Springfield.pdf