“Some days there won’t be a song in your heart.
Sing anyway.” - Emory Austin
Sing anyway.” - Emory Austin
Most of you know me well enough to know that I’m a pretty average person with very few really deep thoughts but lately two things happened that made me ponder a bit more than usual. First, a number of little things combined to connect with me Emmaus HS as a volunteer helping to facilitate the creation of a Chess Club which will evolve into a Chess Team that will play in a league with other schools next winter. This has brought me into contact with some really nice, energetic, interesting students at the high school that I can help mentor not only in chess but also with leadership skills getting the Club up and running successfully. The second incident was a meeting this morning [Tuesday] with Tony Moyer, Meghan Reed and our Interact advisor Amy Kaunitz. We have had a strong and active Interact Club for a number of years and it was nice to reconnect this morning and hopefully rekindle a connection with these students in several different ways over the next 6-12 months. I see this connection as mutually beneficial where the ERC has much to offer the young people who will be in charge in the coming years and the young people can also help us with new ideas and energy and enthusiasm for projects we may not have even considered.
So, what’s the deep meaning of these two occurrences in my life? Well, to me it’s a reminder that, in my opinion, we have an obligation as we get older to help the younger generation when the opportunity presents itself. I learned many years ago that values are more often caught than taught so just being involved sometimes even in a small way will help young people in ways that we may never know about. Sometimes a kind word, a piece of advice giving some time to a young person, mentoring on a specific topic or problem or just listening can have very positive benefits in this crazy world. Thanks to everyone who works with the youth in our community and I look forward to more connections in the coming months.
