A time to think about the young people around us. Ways to help…
For many of us, Christmas is a time to give to children and many of us are surrounded by families who can give their children a great deal. But what of the less fortunate? And I don’t mean just at this time of the year…
We are just recovering from a very early and very heavy attack of snow. Inconvenient, dangerous, disruptive we can all appreciate how this weather phenomenon has adversely affected large parts of the UK.
But who loves it? Little people! Children dream of snow and long for its onset in winter. They play until their hands are blue and they can’t feel their feet.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all the stuck lorry drivers and stranded motorists, the commuters at the bus stop or train platform, the delivery guys and every adult left cursing the snow, could see it in the same light.
Imagine if motorists, stuck for hours in their vehicles on the M68, were to get out every hour or so and have a snowball fight, laugh and frolic in the snow until they couldn’t feel their toes but their hearts were warm again. Tell stories to one another and enjoy each other’s company.
Or even without the snow, you are at the wheel stuck in a traffic jam. Instead of cursing and cutting up every other driver when an opportunity presents itself, why not play as children would. Smile at the driver in the car next to you. Open the window and shout “wot r ya gonna do?” with a grin.
Where does it all start to go wrong? Sometime in our lives, around the time we are supposed to start going out to work. As children and young adults leave school and higher education to springboard into the rest of the world, the shutters start to come down. “Take things more seriously.” “Now is not the time to play and joke, this is the real world.” We are told. By whom? Well, society whoever society is. Parents, teachers and anybody trying to help the youngster to get started in their working life.
But employers subscribe to the same wet blanket. How do you suppose the average interviewing manager would view a candidate appearing in front of them wearing a red, clown-nose.
Everywhere we look there are signs saying “you can’t”…smoke, go faster than, walk here, litter, park here. Now these are perfectly reasonable things to ask people not to do, but where are the signs saying “you can”. You can be anything you want, you can achieve heights you thought you could only dream about, you can brighten the world, you can play at life and enjoy whatever career or life style you choose.
On the other side of the coin, later in life many adults will be exposed to the self-help gurus in one form or another. “You can do and be anything you want to be.” They will tell us. But where are they for the school or college leaver? Another simple answer here, there is no money in preaching encouragement to a school leaver. After all, the unemployment line beckons, or the student debt hangs heavy over the head of the graduate. “Life is tough, get over it.”
We are here to change this. I don’t care how it comes about or whether there is a fortune to be made (or likely not), but I want every child to hold on to their dreams and love of life.
More inspired, more invigorated, more self-belief, more humour, more enjoyment, more hope will make life less tough, and give rise to more opportunity. I know, “you make your own luck”. Or substitute “opportunities” for “luck”. But a helping hand can’t hurt. We are here to help.
I, along with good friends Theresa and Graham, are launching the “Grasshopper Foundation” in the New Year.
If you would like to see more youth being productive, more entrepreneurs, more happy people, more opportunities being found, join us. Tell us…
- how you could help,
- your inspiring story or that of someone you know,
- or just that you are out there and you would like to see Boundless Opportunities For Youth
We want to hear from you terry@axxentor.com.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 08:00AM
Reader Comments (2)
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