Energy Lessons

In one of the fifth grade classes I work in I got to sit in on a science lesson that one of my fellow AmeriCorps was presenting.  It was awesome.  The kids loved her, hung on her every word, and she knew her stuff and was able to present the topic in a way fifth graders understood.  Energy was the topic at hand, and she described how one type of energy (light) can help a plant grow, creating another type of energy (growth), that can then turn into energy in food form for us.  In the past few days I've been wondering how I can take one kind of my own energy (frustration and anger) and turn it into another, more productive form (change-inducing actions).

I doubt that I will ever dislike the day-to-day tasks of my job.  Overall I love working with the kids that I do, and I feel great when some of my students look at me and say "Oh, now I get it!"  Because I have been somewhat successful in creating relationships with my students and some of them now trust and like me, I have recently been able to pay more attention to the underlying factors that unfortunately sustain the challenging situations my students and the region that I live in face in this culture.

My thought process goes something like this: It seems that some parents do not prioritize their children or their children's basic education.  These parents are selfish and more concerned about making sure they have the newest phone or game console.  Why does it matter so much to have these items when their child doesn't have a proper winter coat or shoes?  Our culture says that one must show off their "wealth" through consumption of disposable items - whatever form those might come in.  By eagerly consuming disposable goods the money keeps coming in to the few who benefit from it and keep those who are forking over the money sedated into a false sense of momentary complacency because they have the sickest new gadget that does ten million tasks.  What's lacking in all of this?  In my mind it's a lack (or complete absence) of meaningful human connections and relationships.

So there are the societal pressures that create (?) selfish people who then procreate and then pass off their bad habits to their children because they are leading by example.  Then, today I read yet another article about how there are multiple proposals on how to "fix" the country's problems by cutting funding from programs that are proven to work and support multiple layers of our society.  I've read lots of these articles and cringe with every one, but this time it was personal: all AmeriCorps funding is slated to be gone.  Taken away.  As in, the way I read it, no more AmeriCorps.  Granted, this would not directly effect me because my term of service (and funding) is secure.  But what about next year and the year after and the year after?  I read that one supporter of this idea said that these cuts would help restore American's faith in the economy and help get people back to work.  Mr. Senator, let's have a real discussion about this.  Why don't you come talk with me about how my funding isn't really that important, and the work that I and all my other AmeriCorps mates are doing isn't worth the paltry stipend we receive to create real and lasting positive change in our communities.  With so many of my generation out of work with great skill sets who are ready and willing to work in positions like AmeriCorps offers I just CAN NOT understand how cutting this program will benefit not only our economy but the overall quality of life in our country.  I have heard countless people in Port Angeles comment on how they love the AmeriCops here and how much of an asset we are to the community.  I imagine wherever there are AmeriCorps members, their community members are echoing what I have heard.  How are we supposed to cultivate important relationships with one another and learn from each other and grow with each other and make the world a truly better place if there are not opportunities for people to work in capacities such as AmeriCoprs positions?  The cynic in me thinks maybe that's the point.  If we're all mice running on the wheel trying to get the new phone, etc, we won't bother to look around and see where we are and who's around us and what we're missing.  Mindless consumers don't need critical thinking skills or advanced math knowledge or, really for that matter, how to read anything more than a how-to manual to follow directions at work.

I do not accept this, though.  I never will.  There is so much more to life that accumulating things that will just break in a short matter of time.  I will work to change things, and I believe that I am not the only one.  All over the world things are changing.  People are finding their commonalities and embracing their differences and uniting to make their dreams reality.  My anger and frustration energy will find a conductor path to join into so that it may change form and become lasting change.