Check out this video of Caine Monroy, the 9 year old mini-Michel Gondry, hustling adults with imagination and creativity from his cardboard palace. You can donate to his college fund and read his story at cainesarcade.com.
While there is an element of what Teju Cole and many others refer to as the "White Savior Industrial Complex" to the back story of this video, the little kid at the heart of this story is admirable for literally making something out of nothing; a video game arcade from discarded cardboard boxes.
It can be inspiring to watch a little kid create his own environment from boxes and gadgets and the overwhelming response to his "college funds" is a testament to the power of the internet. However, it is always hard for me to digest a "feel good" story when it is treated as a spectacle. Watch for yourself and decide. Perhaps it will inspire you to give small kids garbage to play with instead of the latest Justin Bieber action figure....another more soul-damaging type of garbage.
"I deeply respect American sentimentality, the way one respects a wounded hippo. You must keep an eye on it, for you know it is deadly." ---Teju Cole
For more on Teju Cole, check out the NPR article on him here or his twitter @tejucole
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