The Times They May Be A Changing

In amongst all the days of cold, wind and rain last week there was one warm, dry day. An ideal opportunity to take Kumali to the park after nursery to run around with exuberance and reconnect with the outside world after days indoors avoiding the weather. Always a good plan.

Not surprisingly a lot of other children and their parents had the same plan. The Bowly Park was jam packed with children, adults, bikes and balls. The only available play item was the slide to Kumali and I headed to that; not as good as the swings, but better than the see-saw.

Around the back of the slide, near the steps, a young boy of no more than four was lying on the grass, clutching a football, sobbing. His dad was near by, trying to coax him gently to get up and head for the car because it was time to go home. The wee lad was having none of it and he 'lost it' just as Kumali started to climb the steps on the slide.

He started telling his dad to 'get lost', 'shut up' and 'go away.' Then he screamed out, while he beat the ground with his clenched fists, "My life is boring. I never do anything. Watch telly, play on the computer. That's all I ever do. I WANT TO BE OUTSIDE."

Kumali nearly fell off the edge of the slide as she had reached the top step without looking, transfixed as she'd been by the little chaps outburst. I never noticed as I was staring at him too. But I couldn't help feeling better about the future of the human race afterwards.

If that wasn't enough positive affirmation for one day, I bought by weekly copy of The Big Issue and read an article in it about a youth court in one of the toughest neighbourhoods in Washington DC that started in 1996 and today deals with 70% of all non-violent crime committed by young first time offenders in the city.

The scheme's founder, Edgar Cahn, explains, "This is kids talking sense to kids ... every juror on the panel is a former offender who as part of their own sentence must spend 10 weeks on jury duty ... 'bad kids' are now doing more to reduce crime than the police, the prosecutors and the defence attorneys."

Now Cahn's an economist, so his scheme works because it's based on 'financial' reward. For every hour a child spends on jury they earn a 'time dollar.' When/if they build up enough they can trade them in for recycled computers, a gift certificate, etc. People, mainly, enjoy goals, challenges and something to aim for: a purpose and a reward.

It all sounds good, hopeful and uplifting to me!