I photographed the Jones family a lot, so they invited me for Thanksgiving dinner. I've spent a few Thanksgivings away from my own family. When I worked for daily newspapers, I sometimes dined with the fire department or the Salvation Army, for example. But being at the table with all these kids from across the country was a special experience. It made me feel like part of the Boys Town family. We went around the table, and each one of us said what we were thankful for. It was great to hear the kids talk about how much they appreciate their new family at Boys Town. And of course, the food was wonderful. The dessert—Mrs. Jones's sweet potato pie—was the best I've ever tasted. The whole day was very special.

This assignment made me realize how irresponsible I was as a teenager. I was never as mature as these kids are. When I was in high school, I always felt it was the kids versus the teachers. I didn't get that at all at Boys Town. The kids and the parent-teachers got along very well, and there seemed to be a mutual feeling of respect for one another. All of the kids are given so much responsibility, and they're so disciplined about doing homework and taking care of chores. Every night one of the boys is designated as the house manager. He makes sure that the other boys have done their chores, that the house is cleaned up, and the dishes are washed. The parent-teachers are there to supervise. There was no way I could have accepted that much responsibility at that age and I felt a sense of belated inadequacy.

Every family is given a van, so one day the kids piled into three or four vehicles and went to the movie theater in Omaha to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I hadn't read the book or seen the movie, but I thought since the kids were going, I'd go with them. It was a little funny to be sitting there with about 40 kids. I loved the movie, but I never thought I'd be doing that in Boys Town. Then it occurred to me how the movie illustrates a comparison between Harry's life with his wicked aunt and uncle and the positive family experience of the kids at Boys Town. Maybe Harry isn't the only one who is saved by magic.