StC News
"No One Eats Alone"
Youth Speaker David Flood visits StC’s sixth grade boys to speak about compassion, empathy and thoughtfulness.
Maybe it was a history class that changed the way you saw the world, or a moment with one of your teachers or a friend. For David Flood, a youth motivational speaker, it was his son, Justin. “Justin is autistic,’ he said, “and he is my hero.”
Flood visited StC’s Middle School on Friday, shared his son’s story with sixth graders and inspired them to value human dignity, understanding, patience, forgiveness, and love.
In a handful of ways, Flood’s son Justin is just like any other high school kid. He loves anime and the WWE. He plays ice hockey and practices taekwondo. He enjoys exploring haunted houses and watching classic movies.
However, Justin struggles in social situations and doesn’t quite know how he fits in. Justin can sometimes be lonely. And according to Flood, “Loneliness is toxic.”
Flood encouraged our MS Saints to think of others, focus on compassion and to be inclusive and welcoming. To do this, boys were asked to conquer three challenges as they thought about their formative years — and their immediate and long-term futures.
Flood gave our MS students three challenges:
- Start looking at people from the inside, not the outside.
- Show respect for adults, especially teachers. Find two adults in the building, look them in the eye for at least 9 seconds, and thank them for what they do.
- No one eats alone. Look for people who are sitting alone at lunch and join them.
Flood offered the boys a parting piece of advice of living a thoughtful, compassionate life. “It’s about being selfless — not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”
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