I have to tell you about the most fun part of my day. My youngest son asked me to provide transportation for an activity sponsored by our church's youth group. This was a big deal, because this is the son who for years did not want me to come to such events because he feared I would embarrass him. My naturally gregarious personality and loud voice is to blame for that--as well as my love of teasing him. He's so great to tease because I always get a reaction. :) So, I was thrilled to be invited. And I must tell you I have worked extra hard not to embarrass him. I was more excited to find out that the activity was one I did with my church youth group years ago. With the gap in our ages and the changes that have occured in the past 30+ years, it really is difficult to find such a thing. The activity was a photo scavenger hunt. I told my son that we had done that years ago with Polaroid cameras. His next question was "What's a Polaroid camera?" So, I had to explain how the first instant camera worked. We picked up a friend of his that we've known for years and headed to church.
When we got there, the assistant youth pastor in charge gave us the rules (be safe, don't embarrass yourself or the church--the usual things said at an event like this) and then gave us a paper with the following list of pictures that we were supposed to obtain. In case you work with teens and need a great idea, here they are:
Adventure Time
Recess
Best Place to Study
Fictional Character
Favorite Restaurant
Best Hangout
Celebrity Photo
Movie Scene
Altitude
Very little description was given of the categories so that the groups could be creative. While I loved this activity as a kid, I have to tell you as an educator that this is exactly what employers are looking for in what they call "21st-century skills;" this activity required collaboration, creativity, problem-solving and time management in order to succeed. I love it when ideas are timeless! :)
My son ended up in a group with three other young men that he's known at least since elementary school. One of the boys was born twelve hours before him, and I grew up with his mother. So, I've had the great privilege of watching these friends bond and grow up through the years. They are just great guys--polite, smart, funny and, in general, everything that is the opposite of what you generally hear about teenage boys. Their first step was to look at the list, come up with ideas, and plan an itinerary. Then, we started on our great adventure.
Before I tell you about our first stop, I should tell you that it is Spring Break where we are. You may imagine Spring Break where you are being warm and conducive to outside activities, such as driving a group of boys around for a photo scavenger hunt. However, the weather today did not meet the standard. We are not in the polar regions or the Northeast, but it is not uncommon for us to get snow in January and February--and we had four snow days this year and in most of the surrounding school districts. March is a mixed bag in these parts--some years it's warm, and some years it's more like winter. Today we had big snowflakes coming down as we began our adventure with four teen boys, ranging in height from 5 feet, 8 inches tall to above 6 feet, with their 5 foot, 5 inch driver in a Chrysler PT Cruiser. If you're not familiar with that model, it has bucket seats in front, and space for three people in the back, as long as they are skinny. We had plenty of room in the front, but it is safe to say they were at least snug in the back! Our first stop was to a park nearby, which has a small lake and a playground. The boys piled out of my car and took two photos IN THE SNOW, one by the lake with a metal sculpture resembling a sea serpent/dragon, and one on the playground. I stayed in the car while one of the boys took pictures with his twin sister's camera. The piled back in the car and we headed to our next stop--the local branch of the public library. There, the boys posed with a giant teddy bear while reading books, and with a poster of Yoda with the caption, "Read--and the force will be with you."
The next stop was a nearby McDonalds for lunch and more photos; my son caught one of the members of the group in mid-sneeze, which was the source of much laughter. Then, we headed to Target. I should tell you that these guys were well-behaved, and for teen boys, fairly quiet. Once in Target, we headed to the toy department. They found Batman, Iron Man, and Hulk masks and a Captain America shield, and created a movie scene from a superhero movie there. I only had to say "excuse us" once to a mom and her daughter as we were there. Then we went to the entertainment section. My son, who has very definite tastes and dislikes Justin Bieber intensely, found a Bieber DVD and posed with it for their celebrity photo. I loved the creativity of these boys, and the comfort level they had with each other; everyone's ideas were considered, and no one was offended if theirs was not ultimately chosen. Our brief car rides were a combination of movie quotes, YouTube video reenactments, and singing--a teenage boy soundtrack with bass, tenor and falsetto voices, lots of laughter and comeraderie. It warmed my heart and entertained me at the same time. And it was almost constant; as verbal as I am, I couldn't get a word in edgewise.
We ended up back at church for one more photo from a creative camera angle, and then these guys who had been together for two hours sat and talked some more with some of the other groups. All of these kids are so at ease with each other--and so accepting. Power plays, gossip, and meanness were not existent. If you have a teenager, my prayer is that your son or daughter finds friends like the friends both of my sons have found; their friends accept them for who they are, and have the same faith and values. They are there in good times and bad, and when they get together it is a safe place. And they love to get together; my youngest son and his friends go to movies frequently (superhero, sci-fi teen boy fare) and get together for lunch and have had many birthday parties and other gatherings through the years. It's so good to know that they have good friends, and I love those boys as if they were my own. And the best part? We didn't have much to do with it. All we did was join a church with a great children's ministry and a great youth ministry. That's how our boys became friends--through all those shared experiences. And while our church has great programs, the best part of those ministries is the people who are there, serving the kids. Our youth pastor has been at our church since our oldest was in 8th grade; that boy is now out of college. That consistency, and the caliber of the adults serving there and their unconditional love has been the catalyst for great things for our kids. And for us as well. We know the parents of these kids--and they have been blessing to us. I haven't had so much fun in many years as I had today--and I saw God at work in who these young men are becoming.
The most special part of today was having a shared experience with my son and his friends--with a digital camera, cell phones, texting, Facebook and all of those 21st century methods--that was much like what I experienced years ago. It really is true--the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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