Side By Side(Part 1)

I am launching this blog for a singular reason; to inspire hope in this generation of young people. My entire work career, spanning some 30 years, has been as a guardian of the dreams of the young. I have counseled young people, cooked and cleaned for them, taught them at nearly every level, listened to them, scolded and cajoled them. I have been their confessor, their preacher, their administrator, their friend and on many occasions I have had the great opportunity to be their student. I have stood in witness of their tremendous capacity for truth telling, their amazing resilience, and their open and tender hearts. I have been loved well by young people and I have loved them well in return. So as I turn the corner on this great race through life I have but one mission yet to accomplish with young people. I want to help them build a better world. A world that has at its core a true sense of community. A world built around the noblest concepts of peace and social justice. A world that is alive with all the bright ideas and deep wisdom that humanity possesses. A world that is grounded in the love of self, love of humanity and love of the planet.

I know through experience but more importantly through intuition that if the young will build such a world they will need help from the rest of us. They can’t stand apart from us; they can’t be seen as somehow not needed until a later date. They must be supported, loved, trained, educated and encouraged to lead now. The old notions of young people better seen than heard will have to give way and a new appreciation of the young will have to emerge. A compact will have to be struck with the young that agrees to show them what we have seen (those of us who are older) and invite them to tell us what they are seeing. We will have to figure out together how to reach across the generational divides and become allies and co-creators in a better world.

What of this better world? What is the vision? There have been some promising signs that a better world is possible. The most recent presidential election in the United States and the protests in Iran over questionable election results tell a compelling story. In both instances the motivated work of the young has had a transformative impact. Countless young people labored for a year or more in the campaign to change the direction of this country. They worked phone banks, canvassed neighborhoods, held sit-ins and teach-ins and get-out-and-vote rallies all across the country. They were passionate, they were determined and they were driven by an expert conveyors of a powerful message. A message that resounded with hope and possibility that change was possible. They held us all up, especially those of us who are a little battle-worn and even a little bit cynical.