Parenting Counts

This morning I was reading about the phenomenal success of the Washington Redskins rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin III. For a 22 year old, it read, he shows a surprising maturity that enhances an enormous talent.  Indeed.

It occurred to me if we as a people would get back to the basics, the country may yet rebound. The basics being parenting. Mr. Griffin was an army brat, if you will, hailing from a two parent family.  Both were Army sergeants and his upbringing was a reflection of their Army discipline.  I don't mean in the way of punishment, but in the pursuit of excellence.

Young Mr. Griffin went on to attend Baylor University graduating with a BA in political science with a 3.67 grade point before embarking on a Master's program in communications.  That he won the Heisman Trophy and went on to NFL success is in many ways beside the point.  I believe he would succeed at anything.

That brings me to the story of a group of young men from the San Diego area known as the Burrito Boys.  They are 13 and 14 year old friends who have made quite a name for themselves for delivering burritos to the homeless every Sunday morning for the past couple of years.

It isn't an idea the boys came up with themselves, but the result of an over the top Christmas wish list that included iPods, the latest in cell phones and so forth.  Nothing unusual for youngsters of that age this day and age.

The parents said whoa!  It's time for a life lesson here. Greed isn't good! So the parents whipped up a batch of breakfast burritos, gathered the boys and headed for the homeless. The venture has evolved from two to seven boys along with the support of their parents, business people and a full fledged non-profit.  The bounty for the homeless has grown from burritos to include everything from books to clothing to tarps and even treats for the dogs. One 14 year old vows they will continue the effort for as long as they are able.

Both are feel good stories.  Both showcase the exceptionalism that can exist among our youth.  Both are because the parents took their responsibilities seriously.  They parented.

The stories may belong to the boys but the credit belongs to the parents.  May there be multitudes of them among us.

Generational and Ideological Disconnect

I was quite dismayed when I read that General McCrystal is closing down what few reminders of home and better times our young soldiers have at Kandahar Airfield.

The area, known as the boardwalk, has a Burger King, Subway, TGI Friday's and a Cold Stone Creamery, a hockey rink and basketball court along with other amenities bringing a bit of the U.S. to the unforgiving surroundings of Afghanistan. What better to keep some some semblance of morale?

Well, no. The rationale is it will free up much needed space for the incoming troops. Gee, I guess being fresh from home their morale will be just fine. For awhile.

Closer to the truth is that McCrystal is trying to convey that the U.S. has no intention of Americanizing Afghanistan. Don't our kids count? After all, they're over there trying to appease the Taliban while Karzai is wheeling and dealing with them at the same time. Probably working a deal to let him stay in office after the Americans leave in return for leaving the Taliban alone. Just saying.

Meantime, the youth of Afghanistan have other ideas. According to a story on the BCC there is a rock band calling themselves Kabul Dreams that is making quite a name for themselves. The three members are of different ethnicity's so they sing in English to convey unity. They are proud young Afghan men who want to show the world that Afghanistan is more than just a war torn backwater. Let's hear it for the young men!It's worth following the BCC link and listening to what they have to say along with some pretty darn good music!

I had high hopes that a younger generation in Washington would make a positive difference. Not this one. Pride is not conveyed by appeasement. Let's look to the next where the Afghan's choose western ways.

Maybe our young GIs and the young musicians from Kabul should get together and work out the whole sorry mess. I'm sure the Afghans would enjoy a Whopper or some of TGI's wings. I'm sure our young warriors would love the Afghan's music. After all, it's western in nature, instruments and all.

It's the old men of ego and war that are perpetuating it. I'd much rather see music and the ideas of youth as the great equalizer!

Unfettered Talent

On a sweltering hot August day in the summer of 2007 I got a call from a neighbor asking if I could come over. Ready for a break for any reason, I obliged and was greeted by the entire family grinning and giggling. The reason was to present me with a water color of Bacchus done by their then eleven year old son. I was absolutely stunned.

Bacchus was beginning to get up in years and I knew I had a wonderful, personal keepsake that I would treasure forever. It hangs today in the kitchen next to the Swiss cowbell I toted all the way home from one of our excursions. I thought they were an appropriate compliment to one another!

I've written about this family before as being models for home schooling. All three of the youngsters are bright and talented and I miss having them in the neighborhood a lot. They had sheep and goats and alpacas and dogs that I loved to visit and often did. They were the type of neighbors that were always there if you needed them. They've moved on to property more akin to their lifestyle yet I still find myself craning my neck to see if any of the critters are out and about.

What I really miss, however, is keeping track of the kids' accomplishments. Especially the young water colorist. Being an artist of sorts myself, I have a soft spot in my heart for him. He has an immense talent and I admire the way his parents have handled his development. They see that he is getting the necessary training to hone his skills, yet keeping it controlled so that he can enjoy the freedom and joy of just being a boy.

Every once in awhile, a justly proud Mom will send me a photo of a new painting. I'd like to share the latest with you. The young man is beginning his teen years now. What a future he has ahead of him! And this is his dog. I see two kinds of love in this painting. That of a boy for his dog and that of a young artist for his medium. Having a work of his done especially for me is one of the highlights of having had our paths cross.

Random Acts Of Kindness

There is one random act of kindness that I would welcome with open arms. That Mother Nature quit dumping on us! Snow that is. Snow blowers are breaking down faster than the parts stores can restock. To think it was only February when we last went through this and another storm with "significant" snowfall is due Christmas eve.

It is the time for neighbors to rally around neighbors. KREM 2 has just wrapped up another of it's "Big Dig" efforts where people armed with shovels, blowers and plows were sent out to the far and not so far reaches of the community to help people dig out. I haven't heard of a single refusal of help!

That leads me to a story out of Eugene, Oregon, where a group of high schoolers decided to form a club to see if they could change the world with one random act of kindness at a time. Their initial efforts were met with skepticism, expulsion from a mall by security officers and being questioned by police! What a shame!

The "Random Acts of Kindness Club" was the brainchild of a high school senior who felt her community wasn't doing enough. While some of what they gave is a bit esoteric, the thought is what counts. They gave free hugs at a football game. They offered leaf raking services and were actually turned down. One woman told them to "Go do your random acts of kindness somewhere else!" Wow, kids. C'mon over!

Another called the police fearing the kids intended to burglarize her house. During Black Friday they gathered at the mall to give out cards with a mint wishing recipients a "nice day". That one seemed to catch on until security booted them based on the mall's "no solicitation" rules. The fact that they were actually giving something, not soliciting made no difference.

Not to be daunted, the next venture is a hot chocolate giveaway. According to club founder Kelsey Hertel, "People can't accept the fact that there are other people who just want to be nice." She also observed, "Our culture is so based on greed that people don't believe goodness is real."

It's nice to see such an astute young lady trying to make a difference. It's a shame, that as a young lady, she has met so much opposition from those of us who ought to be doing the teaching. I hope with time her venture becomes more successful.

It's also nice to know that in our little corner of the world acts of kindness are the norm, no matter the age of those performing them.

Ah, Those Baldwin Boys!

No! I don't mean Billy, Daniel and Alec, those pillars of Hollywood society that will leave the country depending on the outcome of an election!

I mean Kyle and Brady who are written up in today's issue of American Profile that comes with the Saturday paper. Two Eagle Scouts, ages 17 and 15, who understand the value of being able to read. How can you not have faith in a youngster who says "I have about a billion books" and "we'd rather read than play video games"?

Finding that literacy was an issue in their community and learning that many of the local kids grow up never owning a book, the boys took it upon themselves to do something about it. The joy of reading would not be denied.

They set up their own non-profit, approached everybody and anybody to donate books and money - and they give the books to the kids. When funds run short they reach into their own pockets to keep things going. They hope to take the program nationwide with the help of their website myownbook.net .

They won't be leaving the country any time soon regardless of who is President. They're too busy trying to make their community the best that it can be.

Talk about star power. These Baldwin boys are on my "A" list!