Saturday, September 30, 2006

danger in our schools

**continued from yesterday.....

we had a small group meeting the night that the tragedy happened up at platte canyon. i asked how the kids were feeling after all that had happened that day. one girl told me that some kid had brought a gun to her school just the day before. she said that there were police everywhere. she went on to say that it scared her. that she didn't want to go back to class and that she had a hard time focusing on school after that.

can you blame her?
can we, as adults, fully understand what it would feel like to have our day interupted that way? even if we can, most of us don't think about kids having to deal with such issues. but they do.

it's been reported by some students that they know of kids who own guns and that they figure these kids could have their guns on them at any time. in other words, they go to school knowing that guns could be present at any time. they also know of kids who fit the "stereotype" of klebold and harris of columbine. they know of kids who fit into certain groups, such as; loners, bullied, haters, gangs, and the such.

so what would it be like for us, as adults, to go to work everyday with this same kind of knowledge about our work place? it's hard to imagine because, in my opinion, it would never happen on the same level as i just described the school environment.

so that makes it even harder for us to imagine for the students in our schools. the good thing, i guess, is that most students don't think about the dangers or the past situations very often. the more time that goes by without incident, the less they think about it.

but my belief is that it's just below the surface. they know what can happen but they're not going to let it get in the way of more important things.... boys/girls, sports, friends, music, and what they're going to do this friday night. but every time a dangerous situation occurs and they are exposed to it, their fragile world becomes more vulnerable. and that, in itself, is dangerous, too.

Friday, September 29, 2006

terror in our schools

today was a gorgeous fall day here in colorado. the color of the trees are absolutely breathtaking. it's these kind of days that one wants to be outdoors and enjoy every minute of that time.

i say that because i spent a few hours at clement park at my son's cross country meet. clement park is right next to columbine high school. i'm sure it doesn't matter what part of the country you're from, i'm sure you've heard of columbine. in fact, the meet was the dave sanders invitational. mr. sanders was the teacher that was killed that fateful day. his widow and his grandson, who ran in the race for columbine, were both there.

what else made it special was that platte canyon was also there running. platte canyon is the high school that was in the news this week as a gunman entered the school, took hostages, released some, but killed one of them before he took his own life. these kind of situations - a school under seige - is so hard to watch.

they are by definition, tragic. most viewers would use that word to describe it. but i wonder how many people watch the events play out in a detached way. "tragic, but it's not my kid's school," they may think. and if you live outside colorado, you may be able to dismiss it even more.

i can't dismiss it. i can't detach myself from it. i watch it and read about it, after the fact, and can't help but think about the kids involved. even the kids on the fringe of the situation. what goes on in their mind. i think about what it would be like if i was a kid, at school, and have a gunman (or boys) come into my school. a place where i feel somewhat safe and with an attitude of "it could never happen at my school."

so as i watch the events of last wednesday unfold, i can't help but think about the kids and i can't stop the tears that flow from my eyes. students in that school and then students from other schools now live with a renewed fear of terror in their schools. this fear is a stress that has been added to their lives. lives that are already stressed out enough.

**this has gotten long and i have a little more to say, so i will continue it tomorrow.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

let's get started

let me start this blog by explaining who i am. i am a youthworker. it's not what i do - it's who i am. i've been working with youth going on seven years now. i've had no formal education in youth ministry but have learned a lot in 6+ years. more importantly, God has given me a passion for teenagers and has given me gifts to use in ministering to them and being their friend.

during my years as a youthworker, i have had the priviledge of getting to know teens and being a small part of their world. by no means does this make me an expert on teenagers, but it has helped me understand (to whatever degree) teens... their struggles, motivations, pain, joys, and challenges. since it's a world that many don't understand, they write it off - and in doing that, the teens of our country feel written off, too.

so one of my purposes of this blog is to share some of my insights or writings directly from some of my young friends in order for others to understand better what the life of a teen looks like. we all can benefit from this better understanding.

About me

  • I'm youthworker4all
  • From colorado, United States
  • i am a youthworker. it's not what i do - it's who i am. i am passionate about helping today's teenagers find their way through their world. i wish more adults understood this world and would reach out to our youth. what a different world this would be.
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