2022-09-06
32 分钟Pushkin.
It's Miami in the 1980s inside a local elementary school.
And one of the students, Vivek, is feeling out of place.
He's new to the city, new to the country even,
and he's experiencing something that many of us are at least a little familiar with.
Vivek is feeling lonely.
Experiencing loneliness had very much to do with shyness.
I was actually not deeply introverted.
I wanted to spend time with other people, but I was really shy and I had a dark time making friends.
Young Vivek lived in the shadow of that loneliness.
The schoolyard, his homeroom, and lunch tables may have been bustling,
but no one seemed to stop to get to know the shy young boy in their midst.
Going to school each day was stressful and I was always worried about cafeteria at lunchtime and sitting alone.
I was worried about what would happen in the playground when people were choosing teams and I was worried that I might be chosen last,
even though I had good athletic ability,
but I just didn't have a lot of close friendships with people.
The vague feelings of sadness and isolation extended beyond the school day.
He went home to a supportive family, but he held his loneliness closely.
It was his secret, his biggest source of shame.
It was something he wasn't willing to share with anyone.