Volumns can be written about what is inside, things we keep hidden, sometimes from ourselves. It is a protection, a cloak, but are we protectiong ourselves from US? It could be dangerous for us to put it all out there. We could be hurt. We could be damaged beyond repair. That is the reason some of our parents shielded us from the real world of hangings and burnings. My parents would never have let me see such a thing even if the victum was not one of us.
We all had dreams, even if they were just to live on another street, or in a different house, maybe just to drive a certain kind of car or be a fireman or a poiceman. Usually being a policeman was before we had an altercation with one. Sometimes those position represented power like you mother and father did. I remember when I thought the Chief of Police would send me to the army. That was when my mother told me that some parents sent their children to military school. All I had to do was see his car and my attitude and decorum changed.
How do those dreams die and whose responsibility is it to keep them alive. The community has a responsibility as well as the parent. But, the most responsibility lies with the parent. It would be hard for a parent to do that if their own dreams died. If children do not see people in their everyday life, who fulfilled their dream or made a significent contribution to the community and that childs environment, the dreams die.
Schools are another avenue to help develop those dreams. If your child attends a school that tramples their dreams, it will make the parent's and communitits' job much tougher. That is called the village. In this day and time, you cannot leave your childs education up to the school alone. If you do, then you need to read the "Willie Lynch Letter".
Posted By: Thomasena Martin-Johnson
Friday, March 16th 2012 at 5:06PM
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