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Piece Description
HOST: Our This I Believe essay today is a bit unusual because it was written by a six-year-old. Tarak [TAR-eck] McLain has achieved the grand old age of seven now, but he wrote about his beliefs last year in kindergarten in Austin, Texas where he lives. Here is our series curator, independent producer Jay Allison.
JAY: I met Tarak McLain a few months ago at a This I Believe book reading when he handed me his list of 100 beliefs. He'd written them for the 100th day of Kindergarten when all the kids were asked to bring 100 things. Others brought in cotton balls, or pecans, or Cheerios. Tarak brought beliefs. He said his mother helped him think about them, but all the words are his. He agreed to shorten his list to 30 for the radio. I asked him if he wrote his original list quickly or if he had to think pretty hard:
TARAK: I had to think pretty hard. Every day I did two hours of it and in all it was six hours.
JAY: Was it pretty different from what the other kids did?
TARAK: Yes. A lot different.
JAY: Well, let's just start right at the top, take your time, and read every one of them.
TARAK: Ok. Start?
JAY: yeah.
I believe life is good.
I believe God is in everything.
I believe we’re all equal.
I believe we can help people.
I believe everyone is weird in their own way.
I believe hate is a cause for love.
I believe that when I meditate I feel peaceful.
I believe we should be generous.
I believe brothers and sisters should be kind to each other.
I believe kids should respect their parents.
I believe I should not whine.
I believe people should wake up early.
I believe people should go outside more.
I believe in nature.
I believe people should use less trees.
I believe we should help the Arctic and rainforest animals.
I believe people shouldn’t throw litter on the ground.
I believe people should not smoke.
I believe God is in good and bad.
I believe in magic.
I believe people should not give up.
I believe love is everywhere.
I believe that God helps us to have a good time.
I believe we live best in a community.
I believe we can protect people in danger.
I believe we should help the poor.
I believe its OK to die but not to kill.
I believe war should not have started.
I believe war should stop.
I believe we can make peace.
Broadcast History
Aired on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday
Additional Credits
This I Believe is independently produced by This I Believe, Inc. and Atlantic Public Media in association with NPR.
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Michael Terra
Posted on May 29, 2010 at 08:57 PM | Permalink
Inspiring
The children are the futures hope.