glimmer of hope

Last weekend, I read an article on MSN and watched the accompanying video. In it, Dan Savage, who started "It Gets Better", was speaking at a high school journalism convention. Dan is an activist for gay rights and during his talk he began to disparage the bible and anyone who believes in it and uses it to defend their actions. There is a whole bunch of things that I could say about his comments but that's not what this blog is about. As Dan was ranting about the bible and the audience was cheering and clapping, a group of students quietly stood up and walked out. It was obvious that they did not agree with what he was saying and chose to leave. That is what this blog is about.
When I have a moment to envision what life will be like out of this stage, I often find myself worrying about my kids. Who will they become? Will they succumb to the pressures of trying to fit in and going along with the crowd? Will they be the ones who bully others, the ones who stand by and watch, or the ones who befriend those who are friendless? Will I be able to impart strength to them? Will they have courage and the ability to love themselves for who they are? These are things I think about and I usually come away from it feeling a little despondent. The only stories I hear about teenagers anymore are horror stories. Bullying, suicide, murder, sex scandals, hazing rituals, drugs, the list goes on and on.
But watching that video, I saw strength and courage. I saw kids who walked out knowing full well that they would probably be the butt of jokes. I saw a group of kids who knew what they believed in and weren't ashamed of it. Watching that video, oddly enough, gave me hope.



photo by segolily  http://www.flickr.com/photos/59339563@N00/3424135463/