Come with me on a little journey .....
It all begins with Johnny. You see, Johnny just turned 14 and he is a quiet and shy little guy. He also isn't a happy young man. His mom and dad have divorced and he feels he is put in the middle of every argument they have. His dad has a new girlfriend and his mom is never home so he is naturally confused and depressed. He goes to school everyday but hates it because he doesn't have any real friends. Sure, there are people who talk to him but no real bonds are formed. Johnny feels alone. The teachers don't seem to notice this quiet young man who doesn't participate more than what he HAS to. Every week he feels a little more down, a little less understood and more and more alone. He is lost and feels he as no one to turn to.
We can all imagine where Johnny is going on his current path, right? He will either drop out of school, start experimenting with alcohol and/or drugs, and maybe even worse. Johnny has a bleak future if something doesn't change and change soon.
But, what if Johnny had even ONE friend he could turn to or ONE adult he was comfortable enough to talk with. Wouldn't Johnny have a better chance of getting off the path he is currently on?
Okay, yeah...this is probably way off the beaten path from where you might have thought I was going with this little entry but I feel it is relevant so hang in there with me. This entry started formulating itself in my head last night as I attended the annual media night at our local high school. When hubby and I walked up the band was playing (in a most excellent way) and you could just feel the community pride in the air. Hubby and I purchased t-shirts and other goodies from the groups that were there raising money. Little guy wasn't going to be introduced for a while so we just mingled in and around the crowd, chatting with friends. You know, typical small town Friday night.
And then I heard it. I wasn't intentionally eavesdropping but it was kinda hard to NOT hear, if you know what I mean. There were some folks complaining about a recent addition to the fall sports program. Complaints about this sport loosing athletes to the new sport, 'wasted' funds, etc. They were being not very subtle in their position and what they thought of the folks running it. I was offended by this and I'll admit I was about to join in with their little conversation and tell them my point of view. But, the little angel that lives on my left shoulder suggested that maybe that wasn't the time or place. I think this post is the time and place.
Getting back to Johnny: Suppose Johnny was a croquet player up through Jr High. He had teammates that he worked with daily to improve his game. He also had peers he could turn to and vice versa. They weren't just a team, they were family. Then along came High School. Croquet was no longer available as an option. Johnny didn't want to play football and he wasn't much for running long distances. He had never played an instrument in the band and cheerleading just wasn't going to happen. All he wanted was to play croquet and have things be more like they used to be. Low and behold, his long time coach approaches the community and croquet is allowed to become an option. Now, Johnny has a reason to study, so his grades improve. He works with his team raising the funds to buy uniforms and mallets, so his self esteem improves. He makes friends with some of his teammates and talks with his coach, so he no longer feels adrift. We aren't going to worry about Johnny as much now, are we? If adding a sport, club, or program to the menu of choices keeps ONE more kid in school and away from the other options, isn't it worth it?
Hubby and I have spent a lot of time discussing the controversy that is this new program. As most of you know, our little guy is a football player, so in all reality we really didn't have a pony in that race. But we tend to be fairly open minded about things and try to embrace any change that will help the community. Isn't this also a small town philosophy? We gladly provide money for t-shirts, donate for raffles, or offer to help where we can. We both feel that this is part of living in a community that cares. And it doesn't matter to us if the money is going to the band, the boosters, girls tennis or the soccer team. As long as whatever we are contributing is being used to help the ENTIRE team and/or organization, we will continue to help anyone who asks.
Change is hard for some folks to accept. I have heard many times "but...it's always been this way". Well, you know what? In 1869 blacks weren't allowed to vote. In 1919 women weren't allowed to vote. Why? Because it had always been that way. But guess what? In 1870 & 1920, things changed. Now, I am not saying that adding this program is equivalent to changing the voting laws and I am not saying that adding croquet is going to help every child. But, I bet it doesn't harm any of them either. Change is inevitable. If we can't change as a community, the community will become stagnant. Why not embrace the changes and help formulate a plan to make the community stronger and more attractive? I have always been a believer in being part of the solution instead of being a part of the problem.
I saw a picture the other day of a cooler full of Gatorade and a note from a coach wishing the new program a successful year. I thought that showed pure class and true Eagle Pride. Well done Coach and family! You guys have set the perfect example by your generosity and open mindedness.
Who knows? Maybe someday we will have a grandchild playing on the croquet team?
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