Logan's Run
Perhaps you're familiar with the film "Logans Run", set in a society that kills people once they reach the age of 30? I have a similar feeling about people working in the field of youth development. I work for/with all of these people who are older than myself and those we service. The majority of these people don't know how to deal with the population. In truth alot of these people clutch their purse or cross the street when my clients are approaching. I don't have a huge grudge with the entire 30 and over population, I'm closing in myself, but those working in this field need to understand certain things.
My mother once told me that the world has ended several times. The world my grandmother grew up in is over. My mothers world is over. My world will be over soon enough so I need to make strides to make an effect now. My point being that you can't teach the methods that you used to a generation that is living in a different world. That's like canadians teaching me how to rule kenya 15 years from now. People spend years telling children that clothes don't make the man then wonder why they don't understand why employers won't look at them until they dress up. I'm caught up in the middle of all this as a younger person who has some position. I understand what it takes to get a job and be successful but I also understand the world that youth are growing up in. In actuality the thug menatlity of today's youth is a direct reflection of America. The way our country acts and the things it's citizens will allow and even advocate are no different. It's just that these youth express and enforce these principles from a personal stand point. George Bush is a Thug and his attitudes are representative of alot of these young people. They won't tolerate disrespect, they respect money, and they usually think that they can do as they please and won't accept anyone treating them less then what they would like. My main problem is you can't not take time to understand people and assume you can suggest what would improve their lives. On top of this I have ignorant administrators doing...bullshit. To avoid my work jargon, I'll describe a recent situation like this...
Several months ago we were told to let the children go outside and play in the street. I expressed to my manager they were not ready to do something like that. My manager expressed this to the Executive Director. The E.D. (who only understands numbers) said they have met the systems requirements, so let them go. We do, the children get hit by cars. Now I'm forced to go to I.Q. dropping meetings in which I sit and explain on a case by case basis why the children got hit. I do and they give out their "suggestions" which are really ways to say later on that they tried to help us guide our caseloads. As I look around at the managers in the meeting who are all quiet (save to pitch in suggestions) I want to scream "We only did this because you made us and it boggles my mind that no one seems to remember these edicts coming down. No one seems to remember that I thought it was a bad idea. No one remembers that my manager expressed this and was told to do as asked. This administration is one big CLUSTERFUCK. The worst part is when they get good suggestions they ignore them. Then later they wonder why things go wrong. Recently I had to give out surveys and the questions were just ridiculous. They asked things like "Do your peers engage in antisocial behaviors." My first thought was half of the things we did as youth on a regular basis was looked at as antisocial. Let young adults deal with young people, if you can't have understanding then no advice will ever matter. Stupid grown ups. They say you truly become old when your mind is closed to new posibilities, I refuse to let this happen to me.
My mother once told me that the world has ended several times. The world my grandmother grew up in is over. My mothers world is over. My world will be over soon enough so I need to make strides to make an effect now. My point being that you can't teach the methods that you used to a generation that is living in a different world. That's like canadians teaching me how to rule kenya 15 years from now. People spend years telling children that clothes don't make the man then wonder why they don't understand why employers won't look at them until they dress up. I'm caught up in the middle of all this as a younger person who has some position. I understand what it takes to get a job and be successful but I also understand the world that youth are growing up in. In actuality the thug menatlity of today's youth is a direct reflection of America. The way our country acts and the things it's citizens will allow and even advocate are no different. It's just that these youth express and enforce these principles from a personal stand point. George Bush is a Thug and his attitudes are representative of alot of these young people. They won't tolerate disrespect, they respect money, and they usually think that they can do as they please and won't accept anyone treating them less then what they would like. My main problem is you can't not take time to understand people and assume you can suggest what would improve their lives. On top of this I have ignorant administrators doing...bullshit. To avoid my work jargon, I'll describe a recent situation like this...
Several months ago we were told to let the children go outside and play in the street. I expressed to my manager they were not ready to do something like that. My manager expressed this to the Executive Director. The E.D. (who only understands numbers) said they have met the systems requirements, so let them go. We do, the children get hit by cars. Now I'm forced to go to I.Q. dropping meetings in which I sit and explain on a case by case basis why the children got hit. I do and they give out their "suggestions" which are really ways to say later on that they tried to help us guide our caseloads. As I look around at the managers in the meeting who are all quiet (save to pitch in suggestions) I want to scream "We only did this because you made us and it boggles my mind that no one seems to remember these edicts coming down. No one seems to remember that I thought it was a bad idea. No one remembers that my manager expressed this and was told to do as asked. This administration is one big CLUSTERFUCK. The worst part is when they get good suggestions they ignore them. Then later they wonder why things go wrong. Recently I had to give out surveys and the questions were just ridiculous. They asked things like "Do your peers engage in antisocial behaviors." My first thought was half of the things we did as youth on a regular basis was looked at as antisocial. Let young adults deal with young people, if you can't have understanding then no advice will ever matter. Stupid grown ups. They say you truly become old when your mind is closed to new posibilities, I refuse to let this happen to me.
posted by Amadeo at 1:36 PM
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