The Freedom Writers Diary - Erin Gruwell [39]
To expose the world to every open eye
Oh to be thunder
To clap and ring
To rumble into memories
Minds and spines
To chill the soul and shake the very ground
Pounding even the sand
Into smaller pieces
Or the mountain
Brooding, extinct
Yet gathering for one fatal moment
The power to blow the top clean off the world
Oh to last the blink of an eye and leave nothing
But nothing unmoved behind you
Vincent Guilliano
January 9, 1991
Ms. G gave us this poem, written by someone who had gone to college with her. Ironically, he died shortly after he wrote the poem by drowning in the San Francisco Bay. After we read the poem, Ms. G broke it down to its simplest form, she wanted no part to be misunderstood. She wanted this poem to become our motto in class, and our principle in life.
She told us to be the kind of people that have enough passion to change the world. If we let ourselves be fire, thunder, or lightning, we could alter everything.
We all thought that Ms. Gruwell’s lesson was really powerful and all, but us? Lightning and thunder? Not likely. The below-average sure-to-drop-out kids? Please, ever since I can remember, we’ve been put down and stepped on, and now all of a sudden we have the potential to change the world? Leave it up to Ms. Gruwell to come up with some crazy shit like that.
She tried to convince us that we were capable of anything. But it wasn’t until Miep’s visit that it finally made sense. I remember talking about how much we admired her for risking everything to care for Anne and her family. She said that she had only done it because it was the “right thing to do.”
Someone stood up and said that Miep was their hero.
“No, you’re the real heroes,” she answered. There she was, one of the most heroic women of all time, telling us that we were heroes.
“Do not let Anne’s death be in vain,” Miep said, using her words to bring it all together. Miep wanted us to keep Anne’s message alive, it was up to us to remember it. Miep and Ms. Gruwell had had the same purpose all along. They wanted us to seize the moment. Ms. Gruwell wanted us to realize that we could change the way things were, and Miep wanted to take Anne’s message and share it with the world.
That’s when it all became crystal clear. Anne’s message of tolerance was to become our message.
At that moment, I became like the fire, and like the lightning and like thunder.
Diary 44
Dear Diary,
I can’t believe that Zlata Filipovic is coming! Our letters actually paid off. After reading her book, I couldn’t do anything but relate her life with mine. It was so interesting to realize that another person my same age, went through such a horrible experience seeking refuge from a war. Even though I didn’t physically experience a war, my family managed to escape one just in time from Nicaragua. Blasts of gunfire thundered throughout my country, too.
I can candidly say that in the back of my mind I didn’t think Zlata would actually respond to our invitation. I felt like we were writing to a celebrity, and all we would end up hearing in return was a letter from her agent saying thank you and here’s a signed photograph. Zlata’s response, on the other hand, was much more gratifying. Not only did she personally write back to us, but she also mentioned that she would be more than happy to meet us. I feel like I’m about to meet a person whom I could relate to.
Diary 45
Dear Diary,
March 24, 1996, was the most unforgettable day ever. I had the pleasure of going with my family to the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel to meet Zlata Filipovic and her parents, Malik and Alicia, and her best friend, Mirna. My parents got dressed up in their nicest clothes for the occasion. I wore a suit.
We drove to the hotel not knowing what to expect from the evening. As soon as we walked inside the Marriott Hotel, we felt important and excited to be there. A photographer took our pictures and waiters in tuxedos and white gloves served us appetizers off silver trays. They even served us punch in champagne glasses. Since Ms. Gruwell works there, she made sure