lord of the flies.

i sat in church a few weeks back.
it was a really archetectually asthetic structure, with wood beams, sterling silver, and large windows. honestly it felt more like a loft than a church. i wanted to live in it, not practice my faith there.

as the service went on i noticed something so very peculiar. basically everyone that went to church there looked like they were from silver lake, california or williamsburg, nyc... basically 'hipsters'. not that i have anything against that at all, but upon further observation i saw that there was not one old person in the building, then i realized that there was not even one older person there, then i realized that there was not one person over 40 years old!

in the book 'lord of the flies' a group of boys get stranded on an island and end up having to fend for themselves, before long one by one a group of the boys began to kill the other. it is a fascinating read, and short, and is one of my favorite books because it shows the shear barbaric state we digress to when not held accountable.

in this country, because this is not a global phenominon, we value youth or the apperance of such. i am not sure why or how we 'digressed' to this state but i feel we are doing ourselves and our communities a disservice by alienating those who have more wisdom, knowledge, and years to share.

have we so segregated ourselves from those who have time on their side, thus limiting our knowledge of things to come? in essence, if there is 'nothing new under the sun', then aren't people older than us basically time travelers, how much can we learn from those who can see into our future?

we may all go through different experiences, travel to different locations, have different friends; but in this life there are much more that we share in common with our fellow man than we have different. in the same way i feel that our grandparents, people we may work with that are older, our elders, etc. may have an insight into our lives that the people closest to us our age may not have.

what happen to the word 'mentor'? i feel that it is a lost art and life left to the past. i admit that besides my father i do not have one, its not that i am not open to it, i just feel that this current culture does not extend its hand to such. my challenge is to somehow come up with ideas on how to incorporate people 20 years older than you, or more, into your life.

now i digress... are we not slowly creating an island of age in our little world? are we not simply the shipwrecked boys on an island slowly eliminating each other due to our lack of wisdom, knowledge, foresight, and accountablility?

to progress we must incorporate all to learn,
we must learn so that one day we might teach,
-stephen

Comments

Joshua Andrews said…
I believe the separation of age comes from the fear of age. You avoid fear in that you don't experience it. Being with those that are elderly incites fear within those that have yet to see what time can bring.

People would rather destroy themselves over time than witness and realize their own fear even once.
Mau said…
I have to agree with you, I think that as young people we are flowed in that we don't recognize how much we can learn from the ones that have lived before us, even if they didn't get to do many of the things we do in our modern age. As for me, my life has changed for the better ever since I met my mentor. I can't encorage ppl enough to find a mentor or a coach (or even more than one).

Stephen if you are looking for ideas, you have to read Gary Collins Ph.D blog, he is one of the pioneers in christian psycology and counseling; and my mentor's mentor hehe enjoy
Ma'ila Tamblyn said…
I know the link I'm posting is aimed towards a Latter Day Saint audience (those commonly known as "Mormons") but I found that the message is in tune with the sentiments of your post. I found the stories and examples within inspiring.

Please feel free not to watch it if you don't want too, I don't want to preach or anything...I just thought it could offer some insight...
(personally I'm interested in listening to the teachings from any faith that offers something neat to learn. Learning is always good because in the end you are in charge of what you believe)

http://broadcast.lds.org/genconf/2009/04/20/GC_2009_04_206_BallardMR___eng_.wmv

Peace
valerie said…
i fully agree, and not only is there a big alienation of older generations, but a lack of respect for them as well. people older than us are so much wiser than us younger folks, and not many people seem to realize that. i also agree with joshua andrews' comment, it may be due to the fear of age. whatever causes it, something must be done about it. not quite sure what though.
Amandasaurus said…
There is so much to learn from older generations. They have such rich histories to share and, as you said, can surely see into the future as well. If nothing else I think our society has a sickening lack of respect for the elder generations. We forget the things of true and biblical value, like wisdom, and worship instead things of temporal value, like smooth skin and flat tummies. Reverence for those who've seen more of the world than we ourselves have, seems to be unique to eastern and/or tribal cultures. Our industrialized, technophilic machines of material advance have none of it... and I believe we'll reap the consequences of that. Perhaps it's morbid but I actually hope we do. It's time for reform.
amanda said…
I agree with you.

I was homeschooled as a child, and as a result I interacted with many different age ranges, from my younger siblings to my parent's older friends. One of the reasons why my parents chose homeschooling was because of the destructive ingrowth that comes from intensive age segregation. I appreciate people older than me, and younger than me.

Another issue with this is the phenomenon known as the "youth group". The church I attended as a kid eventually did away with the youth group and encouraged the young people to interact with those older than they. There is so much to learn from people older than we are, and there is so much we can give to those who are younger.

And yes, I could probably go on all day about this, but I shall spare you.
amanda said…
although, i will add that it frustrates me that the american culture puts so mcuh value on youth. i'm not afriad to get old, in fact i hope to embrace it
amanda said…
one of the people i am closest to and who has poured so much into my life is 37 and she has five children. i wish more people were open to the idea of sharing their lives with those younger than they, and i wish the younger people would value the older..

okay! i will shut up now haha
Anonymous said…
I actually met someone on my first solo trip from home that I would consider to be a mentor. He has a shop called Spectrum India in Providence, RI (near Brown Uni). I was at Brown for a summer program in about mid-June and I went to a lot of the shops while I was there. Jagdish is his name. He is this old man (I don't know his name and he's older than I by many years, so he's "old") in the middle of this big city with a store that has the best atmosphere.

When you walk in, he greets you from behind he counter -- even if he's helping other people, because he wants you to feel welcome. Once you get around to checking out (it took me awhile the first time I went in because there was so much to explore) he asks you where you're from, why you're in Providence, and how you are. It's nice because he's a genuine guy and actually wants to know, not just make conversation.

I can't really explain our conversations that we had very well because a lot of it was connection, but Jagdish will take the time to have a conversation with you if it's not really busy. We once had a conversation that lasted a better part of an hour. I learned a lot about him, his life in India, how he studied in Canada, and how he came to Providence. He is/was an avid picture taker but doesn't have all his rolls of film developed.

I also spoke to him about things that had troubled me at the time because my friend and I weren't talking for the past few weeks but speaking through what we had gone through for the past few years. It really helped because speaking with him helped me make the decision to go talk to her right after I got back. Now my friend and I are closer because of the mentoring Jagdish did.


Stephen, when you're in that area and you have the time I recommend stopping by. I learned a ton from him.

Thanks for posting (& reading),
Sarah Hewett
Anonymous said…
I don't know his age**
Exscuse my typos.

-Sarah Hewett
gina said…
Among other things, the most important thing we can learn from the older generations is face to face socialization. In the modern day technology has come to run the world, leaving little room for actual interaction between person and person as well as little patience for the time it takes to to obtain information. A large gap between the younger generations and the older generations is technology; the technological advancements that are familiar to us are a mystery to those older generations. The very aspects that we as a drive thru, tech savy society have eliminated from our lives are largely appreciated by the older generations that relied on these ways of life.

I believe that this devalue and disrespect for elders is due to their exclusion in this tech savy world as well as the largely individualistic society of America. Individuals do whatever they can to achieve the highest they can with little regard and recognition for others and everyone has the notion that he/she knows best and people forget to learn from others.

As an individual I believe that we as people can learn from every individual we come in contact with. I learn from the preschools that I teach and my grandmothers alike. We have to learn to appreciate the diverse world we are presented with and take advantage of the vast experiences of the people around us.
Orrin said…
I agree that old age should be embraced and that younger generations have much to learn from the older and wiser people among us. But I think fault is sometimes equal for both sides. Many times the younger people see little or no value in the wisdom of their elders, while the elders often have a misrepresented view of the youth. I think both sides need to sit down and get to know each other better.
Monse said…
I agree.
Which is why I loooove my church.
It is composed of all different ages, we also have a mentoring program which I have happily been a part of for two years! Not only have I gotten the chance to have a mentor, I am a mentor.
The more and more we leave the internet and technology out of the picture, the more actual face to face relationships we are able to have.
Sarah M. Arnold said…
first and foremost, thank you for your blog. i enjoy reading it immensely and get so much out of it.

i completely agree with this post. interesting that you bring it up in the context of the church. i was born, raised and continue to attend the church my dad's family has attended since 1964. the median age in the congregation right now is probably about 60. there are probably half (or more) retired people there, and i love it--there is an insane amount of life experience i can just soak in from them. i have also worked in politics since i was 9 years old... and the amount of knowledge i have been able to learn from the political "veterans" i couldn't even put a price on. thank you again for the post--and for all your post. i can't wait for the next one.
--sarah
E. said…
Ageism isn't anything new, there just seems to be a reversal of the target group in this generation. Whereas the younger age group was previously stereotyped as naive and reckless (albeit this still happens quite often), the current age of change favors the youth as the instigators of positive change. In doing so, the older generation often gets cast aside. I work in a microbiology lab, and the other day we were discussing a grant proposal. My adviser, who is also the lab director, decided that he had to add the post-doctoral researcher as a co-primary investigator to the grant. The post-doc doesn't compare to my adviser in terms of experience and expertise of the field. He is 30. My adviser is 90. They co-titled the grant because they were aware of the ageism that reviewers might feel. Despite his hefty credentials, there are still those in the scientific community who pigeon-hole him into an image based on his age.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
we gotta figure out how to learn from everyone. young to old, old to young.
guard my dreams said…
i agree with you. as far as your experience at church goes, at least in the area I live in, there tend to be churches that older people attend and the new "modern worship" services for the younger audiences. why cant the younger people appreciate how beautiful a simple hymn can be? and in the same way, why cant the older generation get anything out of modern worship music? and that attitude can be applied to anything in life. however, i would like to add that BOTH generations need to realize that there is much to learn from each other. all people look at are the differences between them, not how much can be learned from others who have grown up in an entirely different time, or perhaps still are growing up. and why stop at age differences? it can go for any difference, whether its race, gender, income bracket, state or even country of origin, whatever. we need to stop being afraid of those who are different than us, because everyone has something to offer. there. im done with my rant.
miss lynn said…
Wow! I couldn't agree more. Everyone seems to feel that new is better, especially in terms of people. I find that I get the best advice and stories from people. One of the coolest books I ever read was "Listening is an Act of Love" put out by StoryCorps. You can hear the stories on NPR as well. It gives me hope that sometimes the youths really can value the older and wiser.
Chris said…
There is much we can learn from the older generations, if only we would slow down and take time to listen to them (i'm guilty of this myself).

My mom moved in with us when my parents divorced and I must say that it has enriched our home. I'm not saying that there has not been some moments, but when I hear my daughter refer to her grandma as "her friend"...well I wish that I had taken the time (when I had more time!) when I was younger to listen to her and respect her wisdom and years!
nick said…
your new layout makes it very hard to read. it kills my eyes.

i love you and all your very inspirational and moving blogs though.
keep them coming!
To live is to practice faith. Who are you mentoring?
Story of a Girl said…
sometimes young people fear that older people's stories will be irrelevant to their life. Or think they will not be understood, or misjudged by an older person. however i agree...it is necessary for older people to influence the life of younger people.at any age. that's why it is essential for others to try to be mentors to others. because just as you mentioned. most of us want mentors other than our parents or family ...but sometimes others don't offer this quite easily.
That's true. Kids today think they're on top of the world, and they don't need anyone but themselves. I began to rethink my perspective on "old people" after visiting an elderly friend of ours whose wife was dying of cancer. After spending some time with them, I gained more respect for older people than I had before. I think often times elderly people are looked down upon when rather they should be respected and honored.

And yeah, I wish we had more "mentors," but it's getting harder and harder to trust people these days.
Hudson said…
Stephen, this is one of the best posts I've read on here. I see so many younger believers diving into a pool of peers in their faith and lacking mentors in their lives. I was invested in by a guy three years older than me in college, and that completely helped me to set my feet on some solid spiritual ground. Older people are infinitely wiser than us, to cut them out would be spiritual suicide.
Corey said…
Although I totally agree with what you're saying, It's not just the young avoiding the old. I see alot of the old avoiding the young. I think everyone has things to learn from the other generation.
Mark Duarte said…
I was raised by my grandfather, and i can tell you one thing - his knowledge of life has proven right so many times. so many times his advice has been the right advice i needed at the time. the older generations' experience is invaluable.
Zack Attack! said…
Dude! I've been thinking about that a lot lately. My church is full of older gentlemen that want to invest in college students and I absolutely love it. I talk to a lot of people my age about ideas I have and things and we usually have similar thoughts because of our age, but when I talk with someone older I never know what to expect. Also, I think youth is naturally arrogant and talking with someone who has experienced more life kind of sucks that out of us. very good!
Mike Felker said…
I think a lot of older people see the problems in the "modern church," where biblical truth and Christ is no longer the center. Instead we have centered around being trendy and entertaining.
Anonymous said…
Earlier this summer some friends and I started getting together with an older guy, who also happens to be a dr. in phsycology and pastor, for group discussions once a week...it has been one of the best experiences ever! I recommend it.
athena said…
hello stephen.

i guess one of the reasons why people (sad to say, myself included) don't value the older generation for their "wisdom, knowledge, and years to share" is because the current state of the society has taught its inhabitants to fast-forward their lives and only grasp hold of the crux of every single detail. we simply do not have time to slow down, listen and absorb.
Sarah said…
oo finally a post!
i love that book as well i read it this year in school
it has so many meanings
Book of James said…
Too Old to Rock and Roll, Too Young to Die!

Sums it up for me.

I am not sure of the source of the following quote, "Youth is wasted on the young." As insulting as it may seem on the surface it is clearly a cynics point of view.

What younger people may not realize about older people is how many of them view their own youth. It feels like it was just yesterday, graduating from High School, college parties, Graduation, first "real jobs" making your way in the world.

Just because we are old does not make those experiences less palpable and real. I hear older people remark, "if I only knew then what I know now..." How different I would do things!

Older people are like living instruction books all around you in your life. Most likely not wanting to push their agendas and style on others but more than willing and even honored to be of some help to the young people around them.

I like what Gina brought up about the "face to face socialization". In a sermon series I’m listening to by NYC pastor Dr. Tim Keller, he mentions experiencing someone face to face. You get the essence of the other person and experience the person unlike any other way.

Well, I want you to know I gain great insight and perspective from the young people in my life including many commenting here on Stephen's blog.

Thanks,
Personally, I don't think that you can just blame today's youth. Culturally the world is changing rapidly and many things that used to be important, tradition respect and so on, are being left behind in this race to come out on top.
I don't mean to say that parents are bad these days exactly, by the way one brings up a child is quite different now. Much of what a person becomes is shaped by what they learned in their formative years.
Janelle said…
I find that I have a fair amount of older people in my life aside from my parents, aunts & uncles, & grandparents, & I'm glad for that. While it's not exactly mentor-status, I've been invited out to dinner & other social functions with my mom & her co-workers. I go & I enjoy it. Since I'm 20 & most of them (with the exception of one in her mid-20s) are 40 or older, it is a pretty significant age difference.

More notably, a few friends & I keep in touch with our high school religion teacher, who is in his late 40s or early 50s - I don't know for sure - and was a big inspiration & influence on us. For me personally, he continues to be, & I do look at him as a kind of mentor.

I like spending time with people older than me & speaking with them. We never stop learning about people & the world, & they have a lot to teach.
Nicogirl said…
Great observation about the culture of youth. I remembering hearing the phrase "don't trust anyone over thirty" that came out of the sixties druggie movement. I am sure those aging hipsters wish that they had trusted and listened to somebody ... Free sex and drugs made for an emotional bag too heavy to even carry for many of them. Those times had huge consequences.

So history repeats again. I now have had thirty candles on my cake: it comes as a surprise to me. I don't feel irrelevant or out of it at all. I DO get dismissed as not knowing about life by the teens in my group, UNTIL they hit the wall. Funny how flying too close to the sun and crashing brings things into perspective. I only wish some of these kids would just observe and learn the lessons without having to make the mistakes themselves. You don't have to taste EVERYTHING life has to offer..some of it is poison. Listen carefully!

Seek mentors your whole life I still DO... I also seek to be a mentor constantly.

Each generation should have it's hand in the one above and the one below it! That way we are all bring each other forward!
Lucie said…
Lovely post, and very needed in our times. Lord of the flies is a well-chosen parallel. I love how the Bible commends the energy and inventiveness of the young, and the wisdom and experience of the old, and encourages them to help one another.
love the site! you may enjoy reading an article on my site - http://beautygirlblog.com
~Sarah said…
I agree with your post Stephen. I think we can learn a lot from people who are older than us. So many times, you know, we just put ourselves in a clique, and we only tend to hang out with people who are like us, or around our age. But, it's good to have someone in our lives that is older...whom we can learn from. I'm reading a book right now called The Excellent Wife, and one of the chapters is about having accountability. How the older women should help the younger. And I got to thinking...that doesn't just apply to women, but it applies to everyone.
Anonymous said…
just yesterday there was a guest speaker in my church. he was telling us about how he went to speak at a church wich consisted mostly of russian people. They had a praise pit and EVERYONE was getting into it. after the service, an old lady came up to him and said "pastor, i cannot jump, but i can rock!"

LOVE IT!
Anonymous said…
With the seperation of age comes the alienation of elders. Those who once shapped our world as we know it, casted away,
Unknown said…
Just read this recently:

Book of Job chapter 8 vs

8 "Ask the former generations
and find out what their fathers learned,

9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,
and our days on earth are but a shadow.

10 Will they not instruct you and tell you?
Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?


I just read this and have recently been thinking so much on this very same topic! Practically begging for wise insight from true mentors in my life. Not just anyone, but those who would truly sharpen me and also those who "get" my personality, giftings, and ways that I need to be challenged, comforted, and sharpened. I want to warn against listening to anyone just because you need advice. But listen, learn, assimilate, and adjust as necessary. Then apply.
Learn from the former generations. Learn from history. History often repeats itself. Such is the nature of human life. Especially on relationships and love. The human heart and nature has faced the same struggles over time if only in different ways.

Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Lindsay Jean said…
excellent post. i'm really glad you wrote it because thats a common theme in a lot of churches...unfortunately the ones i've seen don't see the need for change - to include 'older' people with learned wisdom.
very interesting...
I could hardly agree more. I've been able to spend some time with a few different older men from my church, and can definitely attest to the wisdom and knowledge that there is to be gained from our elders.

One warning though: Wisdom and age aren't inseparable. Not everyone who has lived a long life has learned from it. Discretion is always a necessity.
Trav said…
in essence, if there is 'nothing new under the sun', then aren't people older than us basically time travelers, how much can we learn from those who can see into our future?

to progress we must incorporate all to learn,
we must learn so that one day we might teach,

{Quoted for Truth}
Alishia. said…
Stephen - I want to thank you for writing such amazing blogs! They're such a breath of fresh air; and just a different insight on things. Many thanks :)
Shae Pendleton said…
yes, yes, yes! it is an alarming trend.
20/30-something run churches are gaining popularity in our culture.
churches that are neither led by, nor contain older people. and no children.
we seem content to lead succesful single lives, where there may be community, but there is little family.
what a selfish and lonely state of existence.
Angela said…
As one who has just finished reading Lord of the Flies for the third time, this time studying it at school... I must say it actually gets more enjoyable each read.

I agree that the older generation has so much to offer that is often set aside. I reckon that they should make it compulsory for students to get an older mentor at some point during their high school years. My mentor is a lovely lady... she's so wise and fun and it's great to have someone to talk to about anything. So many young people feel stranded and lost and alone.. perhaps this is because they're isolated from the older generation and their experiences? Society is saying we're too cool for them.

As for church - we have a youth service and a morning service, but the only difference is the type of music. We have nearly as many older folk come to the youth service as young people. I love it :)
Little Rocket said…
I'm not sure if I can entirely agree with this, perhaps especially since my grandmother is one of the most important people in my life and one of my best friends. I can sit and talk with her for hours, and regularly do. Of course, I recognise that I am something of an anomaly - a 19 year old who would prefer to hang out with her grandma and drink tea than go out each night and get smashed? The horror!

I can't make much of a judgment on the context of the church, however, not being a church-goer myself (I'm agnostic, actually, which some people may find more than a little ironic here). If I were more in touch with others of my age, I might see more of what you have pointed out. But as a person, I have always connected much easier with people much older than me, and only have a few people I actually enjoy speaking to who are my age.

Mentors, however, are important, but more than having one person to rely on in that position I think it's more important to speak to a range of people. Different beliefs can only enhance your knowledge and experiences, even if those beliefs are not your own - you won't be 'corrupted' by another viewpoint, since you can learn from it and instead strengthen your own views.

And 'Lord of the Flies' disturbs me. I won't deny that there is brilliance and more than a little truth in the tale, but at the same time what ends up being practised on the island goes against everything I have ever believed in. I can't comprehend people wanting to do such things, so I really couldn't enjoy it - it makes me cold to the core. I uphold my morals rigorously.
Jaimee said…
I like this post, such a common tension in our culture. However, I don't think the solution is complex. It starts with a simple honest conversation that invites the wiser and older into our lives... I think they suffer from a tension of their own that tells them they are not needed or received within the youthful demographic. A simple initiation on our (younger generation) part can bust that door wide open and I would encourage anyone who feels this way to simply find a mentor (someone who's lives produce what you want yours to)and bridge the gap by initiating.
desiree said…
I have been thinking about this myself lately. "Elderly" has become an insult, rather than the title of respect that it originated from, "Elder." Elders were some of the most respected people even just 60 years back, but now, if you get one gray hair (especially the women), you are "old," and therefore made fun of or devalued in several ways.
Sarah Rhodes said…
Maybe it would be better to get involved in a church and know the people before judgments are cast upon it. Surely you are older than these "hipsters" you've labeled. I don't think "mentors" should be limited to just white-haired old folks. Perhaps if you saw a lack of mentorship as a challenge, and got involved in the younger kids lives (instead of hopping online and blogging about it?), the cycle wouldn't be so dead. Just a thought. We all have to play an active roll in the church, or else what is fellowship??
Stephen, thank you for helping expose Van Jones!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP1-tGQzO_0

He's now resigned, thank God!!
Dan said…
Nice post Joshua. Just a little digression here: The concept of "age" is a very real and scary issue with many people, myself included. The thought that has been running through my mind while reading this is "when do you switch from 'too young' to 'too old'"? I struggle with this EVERY DAY! Growing up, you're always told that your too young to do certain activities. Before you know it, you're too old to do those same things. These thoughts could become depressing (as with myself).

Society has a stigma for how you should not only act, but think at different ages. At 22 years old it is ok to do ____ but at year 27 it is frowned upon. I think the society's expectations have had an absorbing effect on all people in our culture; people take this cultural expectation and make it their own governing agent absentmindedly.

STAND UP! Don't look at your age as a hindrance, but as a platform to educate younger people as well as connect with older ones (tell self). Use the knowledge you have to help others, yet be more than willing to accept gems from other people, young and old, alike (talking to myself again).

Stephen,
I don't know how well this post relates with yours and others, but I felt it present in my mind to articulate and share with the audience. God bless.
Anonymous said…
You are exposing other things as well!!!
Anonymous said…
Probably why I don't go to church anymore. I tried several places but found it all to be a big show for a lot of people - more about networking or a meet market, and found myself concentrating more on the fakeness of it all than of what it was intended for - worship. You don't have to practice faith in a building for it to be real.
Anonymous said…
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought."- Basho

Our elders can give us guidance, but their views can sometimes be flawed because they're unwilling to change. If you want to be around a mixed bag of ages, try a different church, there is value in older generations opinions.

I'm not sure why you feel people aren't willing to stretch their hands to mentoring. It's a defeatist view, and you're stereotyping.

"Are we not slowly creating an island of age in our little world? are we not simply the shipwrecked boys on an island slowly eliminating each other due to our lack of wisdom, knowledge, foresight, and accountability?" <--that was a little dramatic.

"To progress we must incorporate all to learn,
we must learn so that one day we might teach" Our country and most (if not all) aspects of everyday life are run by people 20+ years older than us. How are they Incorporated?
Sarah K said…
you don't write/blog anymore =\
Kaila said…
Stephen,

Funny you mention this, because I have been wanting a mentor. I have been thirsty for that wisdom. Maybe I'm strange, but I love learning. Not just in an academic sence, but about life in general. It's hard when you aren't close to your parents, because usually that would be any 18-year-old's mentor. I try, but we just don't know how to communicate. I doubt you will read this because this isn't your most recent entry, but I just wanted to say I appreciate this post. I felt like a dependent baby, but maybe it is okay to feel like this.

-Kaila
@TheNorthJake said…
Stephen,

I work with youth on a native american reservation. Youth that need mentoring badly. Many of these young people have not met their fathers, some say if they had the chance, they wouldn't want to meet him either.

I have been mentoring 3 boys over the past 3 years. One has now gone off to college, and the other two are getting ready to graduate. These are pretty big accomplishments where they come from. I feel that these accomplishments would not have been possible if it weren't for mentorship. The family structure here is often self destructive, but I aim to change that.

Have you read Donald Millers new book? A million miles in a thousand years?

Please read it, he speaks much about mentoring. Donald also started The Mentoring Project. A great organization that I think you could help get involved in.

http://www.thementoringproject.org/

Respectfully
-jacob
The concept of Lord of the Flies was kinda scary for me.

The effect of survival and dominance is greatly portrayed in the society we live in everyday. The strong over the weak. The dominant over the submissive. The powerful over the powerless.

I love "Lord of the Flies". I can't imagine what would happen if I was one of the kids who were stranded

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mankind gives life to machine!

the six word memoir

BREAKING HEARTS AND TAKING NAMES. a failure of character revealed. (repair) (dismantle)