The Bumblebee Sisters
Natasha and Johna (sp?) were in today. Natasha is 15 and bubbly, Johna is a little more reserved. I was surprised from their first visit when they came in all smiles, inquisitive, and excited to visit. Many of the Russian girls in the area tend not to wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Today the girls were bored and were making the most out of the day, by wearing matching yellow and black-striped hoodies while wandering the neighborhood. I teased them about being "twinners," Natasha said she wished they were twins, but were just sisters. Natasha wasn't sure they would wear their matching hoodies again, because she told me (rather indignantly) that someone had told them they looked like bumblebees!
Natasha had questions about the Russian church next door. What time are their services? What are their services like? I had assumed that since they were Russian and lived in the neighborhood, they must attend the Home of God Church. I assumed wrong.
I brought Natasha to the church's website for her to learn more. "I really want to go to this church," she said. "I have neighbors that go to this church, and I watch them leave their house and meet up with others and all walk to church together. They all look so beautiful in their church clothes." In contrast, she explained that her family DRIVES to their church, and they don't even really dress up. "I wish I could go to church with the Russian families here."
Natasha attended Centennial, and had loved it, but now she is home schooled. Her sister attends Centennial Middle School and when she reaches high school age she will also be home schooled. Neither girl seemed pleased with the arrangement.
I have a lot to learn from these girls, to offset my presumptions that all Russian teens go to the same church, have the same friends and live the same lifestyles.
Natasha is a dear girl, apparently stuck between these cultures. She is a bright light on wintry days here, and she yearns for a place to belong. She is home-schooled because of her ethnicity, but does not have the support from her ethnic group, because she is not the predominant religion of the area.
She is not unlike many Rockwood teenagers, who stop in here because they are bored and looking for something to do. But some people - like me - don't quite get the message until it is loud and clear. The teens that walk the neighborhoods all pretty much want what Natasha longs for - a place here in Rockwood where teens could go and belong, be safe and be teens. A space that didn't "belong" to one culture or another, and where teenagers could do teenager things with no regard to race, religion or status.
Today the girls were bored and were making the most out of the day, by wearing matching yellow and black-striped hoodies while wandering the neighborhood. I teased them about being "twinners," Natasha said she wished they were twins, but were just sisters. Natasha wasn't sure they would wear their matching hoodies again, because she told me (rather indignantly) that someone had told them they looked like bumblebees!
Natasha had questions about the Russian church next door. What time are their services? What are their services like? I had assumed that since they were Russian and lived in the neighborhood, they must attend the Home of God Church. I assumed wrong.
I brought Natasha to the church's website for her to learn more. "I really want to go to this church," she said. "I have neighbors that go to this church, and I watch them leave their house and meet up with others and all walk to church together. They all look so beautiful in their church clothes." In contrast, she explained that her family DRIVES to their church, and they don't even really dress up. "I wish I could go to church with the Russian families here."
Natasha attended Centennial, and had loved it, but now she is home schooled. Her sister attends Centennial Middle School and when she reaches high school age she will also be home schooled. Neither girl seemed pleased with the arrangement.
I have a lot to learn from these girls, to offset my presumptions that all Russian teens go to the same church, have the same friends and live the same lifestyles.
Natasha is a dear girl, apparently stuck between these cultures. She is a bright light on wintry days here, and she yearns for a place to belong. She is home-schooled because of her ethnicity, but does not have the support from her ethnic group, because she is not the predominant religion of the area.
She is not unlike many Rockwood teenagers, who stop in here because they are bored and looking for something to do. But some people - like me - don't quite get the message until it is loud and clear. The teens that walk the neighborhoods all pretty much want what Natasha longs for - a place here in Rockwood where teens could go and belong, be safe and be teens. A space that didn't "belong" to one culture or another, and where teenagers could do teenager things with no regard to race, religion or status.
posted by Dina DiNucci at
1:49 PM
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