I'm back now for a coupla weeks since going to Edmonton for the weekend of the Oct. 28th, and I must say a few words on it now, cuz it was great. I went there to chaperone a youth rally, and it was awesome! I mean, sure, getting up at 3:15 in the morning to chaperone 50 kids (grades 7-12) for a weekend doesn't sound that great, but it turned out awesome (as it usually does). Fine, I did get only about 10 hours of sleep for a combined 5 days or so, and have been zoning out every 5 minutes or so since then, but it was totally worth it! Kinda hard to explain why, so I guess you'll just have to come next year! Its like saying why a certain blanket is your "favourite blankie". It just is, it always has been. I mean, I love working with kids, and although they sometimes drive me nuts and do many a stupid thing while giving me constant headaches, I wouldn't have it any other way. Doesn't make sense, but somehow it does. Did THAT make any sense? I don't think so... I think I'm currently in one of those "zoning out" periods, so you'll just have to work with me here, OK?
Where was I... oh yes... Edmonton. We were going up there for the Alberta Catholic Youth Rally. Its kinda crazy, cuz I know the entire family and friends who run the thing, and am somewhat shocked and ashamed to admit that even politics exists here over some rally of 1000 people. I mean its a big deal, but the idea of bureacracy entering even simple renewal and see the glory type events is a tad disheartening. But the human animal will always be what it is, flawed, no matter what the situation. I guess the best we can do with it is deal with it, and move on. Anywho, basically this rally is just a place to bring kids in jr. high/high school to meet other catholic kids around the province and to learn about their faith, and take pride in the fact that they are Christian! Too often we let our beliefs, religious or not, slip to the side to keep the peace and the status quo. Sometimes keeping the peace and the status quo is good, but not at this expense. This rally tries to counter that from happening, and does that very well I think. It does it by making kids be proud in who they are, and what they believe in (in this case, Jesus). But it goes beyond just religious things. Its a way of living that we should adopt. If everyone just rolled over and died when something went againest their ways or beliefs, this world would be a lot worse than it is. By simply avoiding conflict we do not avoid the issues. We need to teach kids, and ourselves, to confront the issues right now, not later, before the issues become a way bigger mess that we cannot hope to fix. Its just like procrastination, its the easiest thing to do, but always is the worse thing to do in the end! It always bites you in the butt!
Anywho... I think the kids got alot out of it... I hope for the sake of my lost sleep that they did! Even if one kid out of 20 might change their ways after it, that's around 50 kids' lives my helping that rally effected! That's like the entire bus load of kids that I chaperoned! That's alot! Sooo, even though people might mock me or others for doing "churchie" things, or acting out and being a nuisance... just remember this... This rally is 10 years old now... I've gone 5 times in one way or another... but think... in those 5 times, just for 1 weekend a year, I've changed the lives of 250 kids... and that's an encouraging thought to me! So, what the hell is all that talk about the world is too big for me to change...what a lot of BS... flush the excuses down the drain, and go make a difference!
How many lives have you made an impact on? There's still time...
-CIG
posted by The Irishman @ 2:05 p.m.
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