Brian Green

Background

About Brian Green

On my first visit volunteering for WatchD.O.G.S, I had what I would refer to as a defining moment. At recess, my daughter held my hand and walked me around the school yard introducing me to her friends. As recess ended and we stood in line, my daughter told me excitedly that Art class was next. Out of the corner of my ear, I could hear sobbing. As I turned my attention to the sound, my heart broke to see a tiny boy weeping and saying, “Why is everybody so mean to me? I don’t know how much of this I can take.” He trembled uncontrollably and his expression was so desperate. He was slight of frame. His diminutive size was emphasized by the fact that his coat was a size too large, and his pants a size too small. He pressed his fingers so firmly to the sides of his face. as though, somehow, sufficient pressure might calm his emotional state. His combined frustration and sorrowful plea haunted me the rest of the day. In my life, I have had a small handful of moments that touched me on a personal level and changed the course my life will take. Observing this small boy was one of those moments. I decided that, wherever my journey takes me, my work will involve the counsel of young children. As I looked at this boy of nine or ten years, it became clear to me that, in some manner, I wish to reduce the number of small children that stand trembling on a playground and contemplate their threshold for ridicule and torment.