Linebreak | Growing Up Is Not Easy

The Underground Writing Podcast

LINEBREAK is a single piece of student writing, offered as a pause during your daily life. We hope it will be generative of further creativity, perspective, and thought.

*A prefatory note. We recorded this episode on Monday, September 30, 2024. While in the process of recording it at a local college library, an “active shooter” event took place in the nearby vicinity—outside the library where we were located. The library and college went to lockdown, as did all the other schools in the area. The students and staff members all scrambled to locations inside the library—by walls, under tables, in offices, or, like us, in one of three side-area study rooms. In the seconds it took to grasp what was happening, I (Matt) saw a student walking around, unsure where he should go. He pointed at me, as I pointed at him through the glass window of the study room. I motioned for him to come inside. I turned off the light, and sat in the corner, my leg extending across the bottom inside of the door. The student sat across from me, also in the corner. He called his mom. I texted my family. We introduced ourselves. And what ensued was a wonderful conversation between Mason and me, two humans with about a two to three decade age difference, both caught in a situation with unknown variabilities and outcomes, getting to know each other, talking as a way to bring peace and calm amidst a fearful situation. Twenty minutes later—the situation under control—the library went off lockdown. Lights went back on. Mason and I stood up and shook hands and expressed gratitude for the time. If you’re reading this, Mason, thanks for the dialogue, for your willingness to share, and for your camaraderie in a time of danger.

On today’s episode, our featured student writing is, “Growing Up Is Not Easy” by Juli from our site with the Migrant Leaders Club in the Mount Vernon School District.

Migrant Leaders Club

Collaboration with artist and photographer, Marilyn Montufar. Thanks to Marilyn and the MLC for your work with us. Marilyn’s own website.

Migrant Leaders Club & Underground Writing travel to New York (2018) to watch Quiara Alegría Hudes’ new musical Miss You Like Hell.

Underground Writing’s photo-based NEWS page. (Hover over the images to access text, more information, and links to connected topics.)

Our website – Programs / News / Contact / Donations: www.undergroundwriting.org

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Thanks for listening, Friends.

Safe journey . . . and take good care.

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