A Loss of Innocence

Picture a world like this: Families eat meals in front of the television, and drive through dinners between soccer games and ballet practice are the norm. Six year-olds have iPods, and many ten year-olds have their own cell phones. Texting becomes more popular than actually talking to friends in person, and twelve year olds aspire to be tattoo artists. It's either too hot or too cold to play outside, and children would prefer to play a video game, anyways. Reading is boring, and math isn't necessary. College is seen as a waste of time, and some children have seen more R-rated movies than adults. Half of children spend time living in a one-parent household, and eight year-olds know what a threesome is.

Sound like some sort of classic literary dystopia? Nope. Welcome to modern day America.

To be fair, that description above doesn't fit every family, and it doesn't fit every community. As a teacher, it's heartbreaking how many families that does apply to, and it's disconcerting to think about the future of America's children. "A loss of innocence" comes to mind, and at times, I wonder if some children ever even had a chance to be innocent?

It seems like madness, and it's all too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of confusion and blame. One simple question is repeatedly raised: Who is to blame for this mess?? Is it parents, who are overly stressed and overworked and exhausted? Is it teachers, who don't have adequate training and are expected to supervise and teach excessive numbers of children? Is it school counselors, who are assigned more students than they can possibly manage? What about pastors of churches, who don't serve as adequate role models? Is it celebrities, who set bad examples? Is it politicians, who ignore education initiatives and cut funding in valuable programs?

The answer is probably yes, all the above. I grew up with the mantra, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." No one can "fix" the issue, and no one can "save" a family or a child at risk. Small steps are all we can do, but what an impact small steps can make in a world that just needs some sunshine. Make an investment in a child today, and commit to filling them with hope, one day at a time.