Making a difference

A couple of weeks ago, I had a really awesome experience.  I was at my son's birthday party at this indoor play facility, and this young teenage girl approached me as I was getting ready to leave.  She said to me, "Hi. You probably don't remember me, but I was one of the students in the class you did at Rocky Mountain on sun safety and melanoma."

 

My reply, "Oh, ok, I thought you looked familiar!"

 

To which she then went on to say, "Well, I just wanted to let you know that ever since I heard your presentation, I haven't used a tanning bed once (in 5 months). In fact, I used to go with my dad a couple times a week and I even tried to tell him how bad it was for your skin, but he hasn't listened to me yet."

 

Me: "WOW!  That is so great!  I can't believe that.  I love hearing things like that.  Thank you for sharing that with me!"

 

I then went on to tell her how beautiful her skin was, (she was red-headed and fair skinned, by the way) and how proud of her I was.  I also told her that she probably saved her own life by not vowing not to step foot in a tanning salon ever again.

 

I love having these experiences with these high school students.  Sometimes it feels like what we say just goes in one ear, out the other, but then something happens like this, and I think, "Yes, we are making a difference!"

 

 

One student at a time.

Me and Amy Tomasini (a friend of Amy Dunn's) after a high school presentation at Boise High School this month.