With Deborah Froese
Light the Way for Youth
Moving from a small rural town to the suburbs as a teenager threw me for a loop. I never quite found my place in that new community. Fortunately, during high school, three teachers took an interest in me. Although I didn’t recognize them as mentors then, their guidance provided a solid shot to my self-esteem and a sense of direction when I badly needed it. One of these mentors was a music teacher who recognized my passion for songwriting and my ability to play by ear. Instead of dragging me through music theory in the traditional fashion, she taught me how theory could help me play by ear more effectively. When I tackled a double major in high school— university-track courses and what was then known as “commercial art”—a graphic design teacher gave me real-world assignments to help develop my skills. He patiently encouraged me and taught me that creating art is not about perfection but communication, and that “mistakes” are better viewed as gateways to improvement. What a great life lesson! Eager to escape the confines of high school, I structured my timetable for early completion. I finished all but an English class in the first half of Grade 12. My English teacher arranged for me to complete the remaining coursework on my own time so that I could get a job instead of hanging around a place that made me miserable. She also allowed me to tailor one of the assignments to my love of music: I wrote a song for which she, a musician herself, provided solid feedback.
Each of these earthly angels saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. Their willingness to spend time with and encourage me made a deep and lasting impression. They cared, and I felt it. Teenagers and young adults live on the brink of everything. When the future appears bleak or uncertain, they are deeply impacted. Today’s teens face unprecedented challenges in a tightly- wound world—gloomy news cycles, the pervasiveness of digital (social media) relationships over real ones, and the residual effects of the pandemic’s impact on social development.
Young people need us.
If you can offer a formal mentoring program to a young person through your business or another organization, do it. If you can’t, look for other ways to light their paths. Hire youth, tutor, or coach them. Model good work and leadership habits, remembering they may know more than you think they do in some areas and less in others. Acknowledge their efforts—even if, at first, those efforts aren’t great.
An adult willing to listen, encourage, and spend time with youth can make all the difference.
Is there a young person in your life who could use a friend or mentor? Reach out and see what happens. It could be life-changing for them and you.
Author, editor, and story coach Deborah Froese is on a mission to spark change through the stories we share. www.deborahfroese.com
Page 13
Click Here to Read Previous Lightlines by Deborah
Powered by FlippingBook