Just for the heck of it, Kelly and I went to a local high school football game on Friday night. We didn't know either of the schools, any of the players, but it was close, and random, and totally worth it. The last time I was at a Friday night football game, I was probably lugging around a saxophone as part of the RBHS band. So it's been a while. And way too long.
One of the biggest disappointments in college was not EVER having night football games ... floodlights in Mequon were deemed "light pollution," so all games were on Saturday mornings. Not the same!
So after class on Friday, Kelly and I grabbed our sweatshirts, paid the$3 entrance fee, and soaked it all in -- the crowd, the bleacher seats, the announcer blaring behind us, the cheerleaders, the high school cliques, the $1.25 pretzels, and, of course, the game.
But when we were making our way from the concession stand, winding back and forth between the groups too cool to watch the game, it really hit me ...
When did we grow up?
It's not that I wish I could go back to my band-geek days. But it was a little shocking to realize, all of a sudden, that I live in a completely different world from these youth.
I'm having a hard time articulating why I feel that way. Their world is full of iPod Nanos, texting entire conversations, cell phones that can play videos, Nintendo Wii's, so many more "toys" than were around when I was in high school. But it's more than that. It's what they value, their worldview, what they're looking for in life. It's just different. And I have a hunch I'd feel the same way if I walked through a college dorm.
As fun as Friday night was, quite frankly, it made me a little scared. Scared that these youth are going to be members of my church someday, and I'm going to have no clue how to connect to their world. Whatever I "had" that came so naturally to me three or four years ago is long gone. How can I get that back?
*Sigh*
I'll get there. Hopefully. Vicarage will help, I'm sure. Until then, I'll just have to TRUST.
Here's to five more weeks until break!
6 comments:
Hi Todd!
I have a related story on this subject. I'll try to keep it short.
For one of my fellowship projects this semester I am working with Iowa City teens to create a podcast for the public library. So far I've learned that teens can be rowdy, know more about certain things than I do, but they also have a lot of good, mature thoughts and great ideas that would never cross my mind.
I don't think you'll have any problems connecting with teens when they're members of your church.
You still have it,son; and you always will. (Oh, and you were NOT a band geek!)
Great photograph.
I'm so glad you took the opportunity to go to a HS game. I always want to go, but never end up doing so because of what I call the "wandering" factor.
I can relate to your sentiments about youth. I often feel stuck between youth and adult. I can relate alot to high school/college checkers at the grocery store, but then I'm reminded exactly how many years separate them and me. Even more so, at work I teach kids who were born in 1998-1999!
Can't take credit for the photo ... I found it on google ;-)
Does that mean next year you'll be teaching kids born in 2000? That's CRAZY.
Jill: That sounds like a really cool project. What are the topics of those podcasts?
The podcast has a few different segments: "Don't Read This Book" where the teens can bash books they didn't like (the first one was for The Giver! It got a rebuttal), "Beyond the Book" where we talk about things related to literature like movies or music, "In the Library" where the librarians can give a plug for events that are coming up, and our main book discussion, where we just talked about the newest book in the Twilight series.
If you ever want to listen, here's the blog where they will be streamed: http://teens.icpl.org/. The first should be up next week. :)
So come out to a Lutheran High game some night! I might even buy you a pretzel!!!
Great post!
You'll relate just fine... kids don't want you to "be them" they just will want you to know you care about them!
Oh yea...here's to band geeks! I raised one... Kate was even one in college as part of Marching Mizzou!
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