Despite the crook back, did my monthly half day shift in the General Store, easier to stand up serving customers than sitting at home, and was rewarded with a rather nice surprise. Who should walk in for a pie and sauce and a few other more nutritious items than Senator Bob Brown and friend. It’s not every day you get to meet someone of note in our little neck of the woods, so it kind of made my day. Very personable guy.
And a little closer to home, we celebrated the graduation of our Certificate IV students in Youth & Community Work (Christian), no mean feat as they pack into six months enough theory and practical work you’d normally find in a two year course. The dreams they shared of making a difference in the communities and workplaces they are going to were an inspiration, but they’re not under any illusions of what they’ll be heading into as they leave the safety of the structure of a training course within a caring community. The practical nature of the course has well and truly grounded them in the reality of what they will be facing as they confront the many and varied situations which bring young people their way from backgrounds of violence, neglect, substance abuse, and family rejection just to name a few.
All would say they feel inadequate in the face of what is to come. Their training has given them some extra skills for sure, but more than that they believe the process of the six months has brought about a growth where they have become more aware of who they are, their strengths and weaknesses, their values and dreams, and the fact it’s not their job to fix every problem they face on their own.
There are no easy fixes or magic wands to bring about the change we would love to see in young people’s lives so the pain of the past is replaced with hope and purpose, but to be willing to open their lives to the chaos these young people often bring and work with them towards a more positive outcome, I find nothing short of admirable.
And in the middle of all that, I got to remember my Bob. It would’ve been our 39th wedding anniversary today so I marked the day by cutting the best of the few flowers in my yard for his grave and paying him a visit. He was definitely a dreamer, but not the “off with the pixies” sort. Never one to accept something wasn’t possible, he loved joining with others to put substance to the dreams which could transform people’s lives and see them become a reality.
Not only rewarding, but the stuff of miracles when it all comes together.
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