Danny Trejo visits Animo Venice
Last week, we invited Danny Trejo of Con Air, Spy Kid, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico fame to come and speak to our students. Before becoming a successful actor, Danny had lived through a life of gangs and violence, and spent several years in San Quentin State Prison.
As I led the students to the auditorium, I looked around at them and I wondered how many would gain something from this event. After reading through their blogs, I am heartened to find that many of the students got Danny's message and got past the Hollywood glamour.
Some students, however, troubled me because they said they didn't learn anything. Are my expectations too high? Is it fair for me to expect 14 year-olds to understand his messages of making the right choices, doing good without asking in return, and never giving up when trying to change one self. But it wasn't as if his speech was presented in a boring manner. He told stories, he joked, he impersonated, he used street language, he kept it real. To me, saying that you did not learn anything from his speech is pure arrogance. You can't learn something from someone if you're better than him or her. So, by saying that you couldn't learn from Danny means that you're better than him. I don't believe anyone in that room was better than Danny; few people have that kind of strength and courage to change.
Perhaps some of those students couldn't relate to him and his experiences. But I don't believe that either because for one thing, Danny was talking about being human. And for another thing, of all people, I was able to connect with what he said even though I grew up in a totally different environment. My life and his life are so different--it's almost as if we grew up on different planets--but I still know at a basic level what he's talking about. I still walked out of there pumped and wanting to do something with my life.
If you have any idea why Danny's words did not inspire some of my students, please teach me by commenting on this post. I need to know because if Danny can't inspire some of my students, I'm not sure how I can inspire them. I need to know.
As I led the students to the auditorium, I looked around at them and I wondered how many would gain something from this event. After reading through their blogs, I am heartened to find that many of the students got Danny's message and got past the Hollywood glamour.
Some students, however, troubled me because they said they didn't learn anything. Are my expectations too high? Is it fair for me to expect 14 year-olds to understand his messages of making the right choices, doing good without asking in return, and never giving up when trying to change one self. But it wasn't as if his speech was presented in a boring manner. He told stories, he joked, he impersonated, he used street language, he kept it real. To me, saying that you did not learn anything from his speech is pure arrogance. You can't learn something from someone if you're better than him or her. So, by saying that you couldn't learn from Danny means that you're better than him. I don't believe anyone in that room was better than Danny; few people have that kind of strength and courage to change.
Perhaps some of those students couldn't relate to him and his experiences. But I don't believe that either because for one thing, Danny was talking about being human. And for another thing, of all people, I was able to connect with what he said even though I grew up in a totally different environment. My life and his life are so different--it's almost as if we grew up on different planets--but I still know at a basic level what he's talking about. I still walked out of there pumped and wanting to do something with my life.
If you have any idea why Danny's words did not inspire some of my students, please teach me by commenting on this post. I need to know because if Danny can't inspire some of my students, I'm not sure how I can inspire them. I need to know.
posted by P. Hsu at 1:01 AM
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