I Wanna See Your Passport in One Hand, Plane Ticket in the Other!!!!

These are just some rambling thoughts this evening, no real specific story or point.

OK, so the goofy title does have meaning. While in band in college, we traveled to Ireland to participate in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin. We also did a parade in Limerick, performed on the morning show, 'The Big Breakfast' (Don't ask me what it is. We were told it was similar to The Today Show, but there were TONS of people and some people dressed up as Easter eggs who were dancing), traveled around the country, and spent some time in London. Every time we were traveling from one place to the other, our band director would get on each bus and say 'I want to see your plane ticket in one hand and yout passport in the other! Hold them up!' Each time, I would panic just a little- sure that I was going to lose one or the other.

See, I think that while young people can be irresponsible, we cana ll be taught and molded how to do the right thing, be organized, and be able to complete things we started. It doesn't have to be with college band. It can be a football team, a softball team, or even a club. I know everyone's individual experiences make them who they are, which is what gives us a colorful society, but I think if everyone had some sort of experience where other people were relying on them to do something, people in general would be less selfish.

I noticed while checking the grades of my Key Club officers today, that I was worrying about the wrong students. The officers are ALL students who are top 20 in the class students. I enjoy working with these kids, but my greater concern is the students who are NOT involved. My 'special' kids are very near and dear to my heart. I work every day to make them accountable for their actions and grades. I encourage and reward them. They are still going to make bad choices at times, but they are still kids. I can only hope that there are some things that happen that we are teaching them so that they will remember how what helped them be responsible. Here's to hoping a large group of young adults will learn to be in control and make a difference as well. It is really the only hope we have as a society to stay even remotely civilized. (and ha, yes I see the paradox in that phase) So, if you are able to impact some young people in some way, even if you are a young person, take the time to try to make that difference.

By the way, if the show 'Punked' had been around while we were in Ireland, I would have been positive we were being Punked on that Big Breakfast show 'gig'.