What About Our Youth?

A new year brings a new beginning.  It marks a chance to set new goals for the upcoming year.  For some, it’s the count down towards finishing high school, or your last semester in college before graduating and receiving your associates, bachelors, masters or even doctorates degree.  And for others, this new year will mean setting personal goals like getting into excellent physical shape and spiritual health, becoming more financially stable, traveling, or starting your own business, just to name a few.

In the year 2013, I challenge our parents, communities, leaders, schools, youth servicing facilities and faith-based organizations to “Take a Closer Look at Our Youth.”  Find out what their needs are and really listen to their point of views so that we can assess the different situations and begin laying the foundation for problem solving some of the deep seated issues and concerns that surround our young people today.  

In order to do this, we as adults must lay aside what we perceive to be the case and create a forum for open and honest communication between the adults and the young people in our communities.  We will also need to ask for the input of those who are in the mist of these ill situations and those who are being affected by these difficulties.  (I.e. Taking a More Collaborative and Cooperative Approach.) 

We can’t continue on with the projected mentality of “A child being seen and not heard!”  We must establish a meaningful dialogue between the two groups, if we are going to successfully combat many of the challenges our youth are facing today.  No matter who we are, what positions we hold or where we are in our lives, at some point we are all directly or indirectly responsible for our young people…  

Remember, they will eventually become our leaders of tomorrow.  What more can we do today, for a better future for their tomorrow?   So, “What About Our Youth?”