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OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE September 2007 ASK a hundred people, "What is the greatest challenge facing humanity today?", and you'll get at least 25 different answers. Some of the answers will be global warming, the end of oil (what do we replace it with?), pollution, and producing enough food for our 7 billion inhabitants. While I agree that all of these answers are among our greatest challenges, I put forth the theory that our greatest challenge is raising our children properly. We are raising a generation that has a reduced level of social conscience. Doesn't sound like much, certainly not as dire as, say, melting ice caps, but nevertheless, I believe that after you consider what you've read, you will agree with this theory. Let's start by looking into the future. The best way to do this, (because my crystal ball is broken), is to look into our own pasts. Stop and think about your experiences from when you could first remember, until you were, say, 20 years old. Think about those people in your past that stick out, even though you may have only shared a short period of time with them. Take a few minutes to do this. That was refreshing! I thought of several adults, including teachers, my judo coach, and the Hoves, a family I spent summers with on a farm in rural Alberta (I was a city boy). I also thought of some of my early girlfriends, and some bullies, and the first time I was offered drugs. All of the people in my recollections had a pivotal effect on my outcome as an adult. Each life experience I thought about had more of a powerful effect on the way my life developed than I had any idea at the time. Your recollections will no doubt illustrate just how important certain people and incidents in your past shaped your life today. Back to the future: The generation currently in the works – those children from birth through 20 – are being shaped right at this moment. What they experience today will be magnified thousands of times in their future. If they experience negligence, they will neglect their spouses and children. If they fail at whatever they try, they will give up trying. If they aren't been taught right from wrong, they will not pick it up from the T.V. or movies. If we, collectively, are too busy, or too self-centred to invest some time in our children, then we will raise a generation that has to learn about everything "on the streets". Now think back to the exercise we did earlier, reflecting on the past. Do you remember individuals that were rebels, kids that were usually up to no good? They grew up in the same neighbourhood as you did yet they just never assimilated into the world of responsible adults. Think of the causes. Was it a lack of positive experiences that sent that child down a wayward path? You bet. That generation lost those individuals to crime, institutions, or somehow just put up with them in their neighbourhoods. What a waste! Those people could have turned out to be the most active, positive role models in our community, had they been given a chance to succeed. Think about the people in your neighbourhood that are really the stalwarts, the local mayor, the principals and teachers, the coaches of your children's sports teams. They represent what is best in society. Those individuals devote their time and energy doing what is necessary to raise the next generation, and take care of the present one. Surprisingly, most are not well paid, and some actually do it for free! Before you dismiss the ones that "do it for free" as big hearted but feeble minded, think about what it takes to fill one's heart. The title of this essay is "Our greatest challenge". The greatest challenge our children face, every single day, is getting through it without becoming a drug addict. Can you think of something that is more important? I can't. Every single day there are individuals seeking out our youth endeavouring to give/sell and even trade drugs. They give, so the child can get hooked, they sell, to make money, and they trade – you can figure out what it is they trade for. There were drugs all through history, and there were programs that strove to reduce or eliminate drug use right alongside. One that springs to mind is Chairman Mao's doctrine of executing anyone dealing with opium in the 1950's. The prohibition of opium had been in effect since 1729, after Emperor Yongzheng outlawed it's use due to the devastating effect on society. Mao's approach was more effective than the Emperor's in driving drug use underground, (literally), but as time went on, opium was replaced by more powerful derivatives anyway. Fast forward to today. We have drugs so advanced and powerful that one use will re-wire the brain so the user will always be an addict from that moment on. That's right, one use. From the second the user "tries" it for the very first time, that person is radically and irretrievably altered. And maybe the novice user doesn't even know what he/she has tried! They may think it's ecstasy, but it may be mixed with meth. In fact, 60% of ecstasy sold in North Vancouver has traces of crystal meth in it. The same goes for marijuana. In what might be the most insidious bait and switch in history, drug dealers are putting meth into the marijuana without telling the buyer. Good luck to our children avoiding getting addicted to meth in this world. All of this brings me to the heart of the matter. Meth is not going to go away. The only way to avoid total societal collapse under the weight of millions of addicts is to prevent addicts from being created in the first place. How can you help? Why is helping with this more important than anything else you can think of? MILLIONS of addicts. That's right, everywhere you look, everywhere you go. Suddenly, with this vision in your head, you may consider this to be THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE OF OUR TIME. Addicts are usually incapable of taking care of themselves, or anyone else for that matter. That will leave whatever remains of society to grow the food, build the infrastructure, to be our doctors. Imagine a world where the police are meth addicts. You get my drift. As a minor hockey coach, I am entrusted with the future of the world in no small degree. My example, my effect on the children in my care, will echo through eternity. There is no more important or noble enterprise than making a difference in the lives of the little people. I do it because I have had the great good fortune of having people in my formative years who took an interest in me, and gave me good direction. That's not to say that I didn't have people who tried to lead me astray, but the effect of the few good ones won out over the effect of the many bad ones. These days, with meth around, your example today may prevent one child from "trying" a drug (new experience), and forever altering their life and the lives of their children. Kids today, as always, need to feel appreciated, loved, cared for, and important. You can do this. The T.V. cannot. If you have something else you have to do, you can thank yourself when an addict breaks into your home and your car, and think twice before calling the police. It will already be too little, too late! Gyula Huszar North Vancouver BC |
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