“You’re telling me
I should get in trouble?”
I should get in trouble?”
“If you’re not in trouble... you’re not doing your job.” With their fist raised high in a power salute, the guest speaker forcefully encouraged the multi-racial graduating class at a nearby metropolitan high school commencement program to get in trouble!
But are there no other ways to solve problems?
I was sitting in the upper levels of the huge arena listening with growing concern as I saw the frustration bristling in the audience.
It was like being held hostage because you couldn’t politely interject your opinion in the situation.
Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate for the speaker to praise the students for their hard work in achieving their diplomas?
In comparison, the student class president spoke and was much more encouraging to her fellow students as to their abilities to succeed.
But how do you respond?
Watching the anger being suppressed by some in the audience I realized that this could partly be because they had no way to respond to this outburst. I wondered if this was a key point: knowing that you can express your opinion and that it will be listened to. Does this help you moderate your reaction?
I decided to talk to the high school principal and express my concerns about the speech.
It took a while to get our schedules connected but we had an enjoyable conference later last summer. He even took a “selfie” of the two of us to show to students!
But I have not been able to meet with the politician-speaker. Her staff has not been able to find time for me. I have e-mailed some of the flyers I had brought to the principal explaining a unique program we have in Cannon Falls and she replied that she appreciated that.
But I was asking for ten minutes of her time to explain our program. (Actually, I explained, that if I was nervous and didn’t breathe it would only take five!)
But by October, with no success, I was informed that she would be out of the country for a while. I said I would try later.
Well, I got busy too and it got to be November. I tried again. I just wanted to look in her eyes and see if there wasn’t some way to ease the pain that she was reacting to.
Senior citizens and teens... cool!
I had wanted to make her aware of one way that we have been creating a relationship model at our Cannon Falls Area Citizens and Law Enforcement Partnership. This is a group of Senior Citizens who like to find out more information about what is really going on in law enforcement. Is it really like CSI and other TV shows?
We have speakers like the regional medical examiner and the head of security for the Timberwolves professional basketball team. We’re planning programs on drones and getting a “bomb squad” speaker too.
Since we were meeting in the same building as the Alternative Learning Center, we invited the teenagers to join us. This could provide great career knowledge for them by personally meeting these speakers. (The Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce was a good start!)
And besides the teens and cops and seniors eating doughnuts together, the kids have been told, “You ask the best questions!”
Another bonus…
A couple other benefits occured. The kids, with their unique hair styles, clothing and adornments made the “Seniors” more comfortable with them and the kids were kidding around with the cops.
You know... actually, this program doesn’t take long to explain. I really think I could share it in less than ten minutes... even if I took a breath once in a while!
(As of press time I am still waiting to meet with the speaker mentioned.)
***
A past meeting of the Cannon Falls Area TRIAD with senior citizens, cops, kids and doughnuts!
