How are the children?
The other day, I drove into an apartment complex in one of our local neighborhoods. I saw a small group of kids just simply sitting on the corner curb. The ages of these kids ranged from very young to teens. They didn't appear to be engaged in much activity. It was not an unfamiliar scene. What caused me to truly take notice was the faces of the children. Several faces appeared to be disengaged, free of emotion or expressions. They just sort of sat there. They were completely impervious to the activity of vehicles driving past them.
As I sat in my car for several seconds and observed their body language, A question about the future of these children as well as many others stirred within me.
Summer is a time intended to give pleasure to our youngsters. RIGHT? Isn't summer what all or at least most kids yearn for, yeah! Those good old summer months, once school is official out for break it's a time when they can let loose, enjoy the weather and have fun with friends. Yet for this group of children, this didn't appear to be the case. Nothing in that scene appeared to be of much amusement.
I recall not long ago hearing a story told of an African tribe. In their village they had a custom. Instead of your typical hello, they would greet one another with the question : How are the children? And the fellow tribal member would respond with an update on the status of the children of their village.
I wonder how often we've asked ourselves, how are the children?
There are a lot of emerging issues in our society. Many historical events are occurring before our eyes. Whether it's politics, education, poverty, family structure or any other arena, you name it, they are changing. And not all of the changes are positive. These changes likely will affect the next generations more than they affect us. .
With reported increases in the number of at risk youth, we must ask - How are the children? How's our children's future? Philanthropic and religious entities have consistently been in the business of trying to find answers to these questions. The rest of us need to do the same.
It was Ronald Reagan who reminded us that each generation goes further than the generation preceding it/ because it stands on the shoulders of that generation he was right. Many of these kids need a piggy back ride from someone who cares.