By Nate Fisher

The elder members of a community should keep in mind that the students they see as “community members in training” are already active voices in that community. Sometimes they do this quietly, in unassuming ways, through example instead of the larger demonstrations we grow accustomed to in our older years. Sometimes students exemplify the core values of a healthy community in its rawest form, unshaped by the cynicism and finger-pointing of the rougher edges around our ever-expanding lives.

Gregory Johnson, a 7th grader at Meridian, describes himself as a good student and “cool dude.” Part of what makes him so “cool” is that he’s already showing an understanding of the attributes that make up a healthy community, namely his desire to promote interaction and cooperation between people.

Need proof? He’s a fan of social studies because he likes to “learn about life back in the days.” There’s truth in old routines, which can serve as a roadmap toward what not to do or what we can do better. Gregory is drawn to stories about leaders, whether in war or peacetime, who help those that follow them when the going gets tough. The most important lessons he’s learned about leadership have come from his baseball coach, who’s taught his team “not to really argue with each other.” How much more could we complete in our lives if we listened to Gregory and tried to refrain from argument and embrace cooperation?

Gregory has a few possibilities mapped out for his future. He wants to be a part of the NBA draft, and he’ll probably start that path with a scholarship to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. He says he’d also be interested in being a long-haul, cross-country truck driver, delivering goods to the communities that depend on them. He also has big plans for Mounds when he becomes a billionaire. If he struck it rich, the first thing he says he’d do is “give back to the community.” Specifically, he’d invest in bringing more big box stores and mall outlets to the area so that locals would not have to venture so far out to meet their basic needs.

Part of Gregory’s resolve comes from his experience of taking deep grief and turning it into an “assist.” About a year ago, he and his siblings lost an uncle that “was like an older brother” to him. When asked how he managed this blow, he says he steered that overwhelming energy into basketball. When faced with a lone goal, a singular focus, it becomes easier to process the events that hurt us the most. With each swish, blocked shot, and most importantly, with each pass to a teammate, we remind ourselves of our presence, here and now. If we keep at it, we may even begin to recognize ourselves as vessels to carry on the lessons we learned from those we’ve lost. For Gregory, that’s all about getting along and giving back when it counts.