I do not keep a normal, daily schedule at all, nor do I spend a lot of time in the car - but somehow I randomly caught all three parts of an on-going NPR saga I found about as fascinating, and ultimately depressing, as a soap opera:
NPR does a story on a child mentoring program in Portland where the mentors are paid. A reporter had interviewed one of the at-risk children (Anthony) when he was eight and was returning ten years later to follow-up on him.
Anthony turns out to be in college and interested in a career in music.
Conclusion: Mentoring makes an impact!
See: Money For Mentors: Portland Program Sees Success
Part Two:
A brief aside by Nina Totenberg that NPR recently discovered that the Anthony they followed-up with was not the same Anthony the reporter interviewed when he was eight. Apparently there was confusion within the mentoring program, because both Anthonys were the same age and had the same last initial.
Every step will be taken to track down the real Anthony B.
I'm thinking, well that's weird...
Part Three:
They were able to track down the original Anthony in the story - he dropped out of high school, threatened to kill his landlord, robbed a Safeway and is currently serving time in a Juvenile Detention Center for armed robbery in which a victim was put into a hospital after being badly pistol-whipped.
The entire conclusion and point of the piece has changed. My conclusion: life is just not that simple.
