YOUTH
FIRE
(Publication
Date: 2 May 2007)
The young people we burden with exams.
The ones we push aside, telling them, “Go grow up and come back.”
The ones we call our future, yet don’t care about; the ones we don’t care about.
***
A few days ago, I thought I would share in my column a piece I remembered reading somewhere and really liked.
The piece described an experiment.
The flea experiment…
Read it and see how it makes you feel.
The flea experiment:
In a laboratory, they put a flea inside a glass jar 20 cm high and cover it with a glass lid.
They begin heating the bottom of the glass jar. As the jar heats up, the flea jumps upward and each time falls back down for a reason it cannot understand.
The flea cannot get out of the jar!
Because the flea thinks there is nothing above it; it doesn’t even notice the transparent glass that makes it think the jar is open!
After some time, they remove the glass lid from the top of the jar, keep heating it from below, and begin observing.
The flea keeps jumping, but it cannot get out!
Because the flea still thinks there is an invisible barrier above it holding it back: That is why it jumps 20 cm each time.
Yet the flea has the ability to get out of the jar quite easily; but its earlier experiences make it feel that doing so is pointless and cause it to forget its abilities.
*
This experiment reminded me of:
Young people who are eager to do something but are held back by invisible walls…
Our young people who are trying to do things in the shadow of minds that hold them back…
You know, the young people who are tired of being stopped, whose views are focused on certain points, whose interests are restricted…
You know, the young people who have become lost in certain vicious circles, who have been left far too familiar with the word “impossible”…
You know, the young people who have been pushed into life without being aware of their potential, left without love and, most importantly, without respect…
You know, the young people we make focus on exams, whose lives we squeeze into certain corners, whose room to move we restrict…
You know, the young people for whom we buy brand-new cars because they’re hot-blooded, then feel heartbroken over traffic accidents…
You know, the young people we don’t give the right to speak, then complain that our young people aren’t interested in anything…
You know, the hot-blooded young people who love with all the fire of youth and think they would do anything for the person they love.
I thought of them when I first
read the story I just told you.
I thought their abilities were being restricted by invisible glass lids.
I thought about how difficult it is to become aware of them.
I was glad for those who are aware; in other words, those who have “broken through.”
Most of all, I thought about those who put the glass lids there; I couldn’t name them.
I couldn’t name them, but I know they exist.
Otherwise, why would our young people talk only about cars, girls, and alcohol?
As I said, not all of them—some among them have broken through!
Some among them are breaking the invisible glass walls.
Some among them know that their abilities are greater than they realize.
Some among them—after reading this piece— will understand that their abilities are greater than they thought.
At least, that’s what I hope…
See you Friday… Be respectful
in traffic…
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