I went to my local post office yesterday, 10/11/2022, to mail a letter via certified mail.  My wife had been experiencing problems since April this year with getting in touch with someone that she really needed to speak to.  Finally, I suggested that since she was unable to reach this person by phone, I would contact her by mail since what she needed to talk to her about impacted on both of us.  My wife agreed that this would be worth trying so…

When I arrived at the post office that afternoon, as usual, the line was long.  There was only one post office employee working the counter – I will not label this situation as another “as usual” thing but I will call it common, so I settled in for the wait.  Shortly after I got into the long line, a young man got into line behind me.  He struck me as a cordial, polite and well-mannered young man so I did what we older folks consider to be the polite thing to do; I greeted him with what I will refer to as the obligatory hello.  I was right, in his own cordial, polite and well-mannered fashion he responded in kind.  Hello sir, he said.

Before I knew it, I found myself involved in an interesting conversation with him.  This young man told me his name and said that he was the coach at a school in the area.  As we continued to talk, I surmised that his coaching job was either a parttime activity to earn extra income or it was a completely voluntary thing that he enjoyed doing while giving something back to his community, which he seemed to care a lot about.  I further theorized that this school was a small and not well-known one.  I found out that I was correct in my assumptions when he told me its name and where it was located.  As our conversation continued, I found out that he was in his mid-thirties, was concerned about the ongoing gentrification of Black communities and cared a lot about helping young Black men who were struggling for various reasons, to stay on the right path and continue to move forward.

All the while that I was talking to this young man thoughts about another young man that I was intrigued by and had struck up a conversation with kept coming to mind.  I met this particular young man in the barbershop back in 2014 when I was getting a haircut.  I can’t recall his name but I remember that he too was affiliated with education, was concerned about the gentrification of Black communities and wanted to help young Black children and other children of color to stay on the right track and become assets to their communities.  This young man was a teacher at a school in a largely Black community.  Further, he too spoke with excitement in his voice about what these young Black children and other children of color could achieve if only given the opportunity and the right people to genuinely care about and mentor them.

The next thing that I knew, I was at the front of the line and would be next to be called to the counter.  The lady that was at the counter ahead of me, like me – she was also a senior citizen, must have overheard our conversation during the entire time that we were waiting in line because when the postal clerk that was assisting her at the counter went to the back area to check on something for her, she came and spoke in a whispered voice to the young man that I was talking to.  I could not hear what she said to him before she went back to the counter but from the expression on his face, he seemed to be touched by her words.

When the clerk returned, finished helping her and called “next”, I quickly told this young man that I had enjoyed our conversation and said goodbye.  I proceeded to the counter, paid to have my letter sent via certified mail, left the post office and headed for home.  Although I am not able to remember the young man’s name that I chatted with in the barbershop back in 2014, I recall exactly who the young man in the post office is.  However, since I didn’t get his permission to use his name in this article and I am not sure how he would feel about having his name publicized, I will simply refer to him as Coach ZR.  So, good luck in your efforts to help support and guide the young men that you are working with, Coach ZR.  I hope that in the long run they will be better off because you cared about them and provided them with more than just lip service.  Even if just one of them ends up better off, you will have accomplished a great and honorable task because every single person is, and as they should be, a precious life that is worth saving.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line