Courage, Who Me?
Monday, May 19th, 2008Courage. Most of us think first of veterans who go to war and people who run into burning buildings. Maybe we think of missionaries who tackle hard problems in third world countries. Or of giving a speech! I thought of courage the other night when I facilitated the McKenzie Co. Horizens meeting to reduce underage alcohol consumption. It takes courage to go public on the issue when the neighbors can tell stories on you when you were young! It takes courage when you have a kid that is possibly bigger than you are and you have to say no! It takes courage to disagree with your friends when they remember party fun and think you are just a spoiler. (Do they know how “partying has changed in the last years?) It takes courage especially if you think your kid will challenge you about your habits. It takes courage to risk donating precious time and getting hooked into another round of meetings. It takes courage to try to think up something you think your teens will actually enjoy instead of being bored-scarier yet- you might have to do it together! So…if any of the above are making you grin or squirm, you know what I mean by courage. When you think about the poverty-making bad decisions that young people can make when they are using alcohol, a little courage is a good thing.