Community Hours Form

People will think I’m weird if I know a lot about this.People will think I’m weird if I reveal I know how to think.Being dumb is hip, lit, cool, totally normal… even though I just don’t fit in with it.And it’s destroying us.You know who are the oddballs in our community? The honor roll kids.You know who is politically active? The oddball honor roll kids.You know who volunteers at community events and actually helps, not just puts in required-to-graduate community service hours? The oddball honor roll politically active kids.You know what else?It’s a family thing.Most times, their Dad is either a professional in an education or medical field, or he’s a local contractor. Their Mom is generally involved in at least two boards or committees. Their siblings are in the fire department. Their cousin just ran for office. You get the picture.We’ve made it cool not to do drugs. Seriously, we have. That’s not saying kids don’t, but aside from the gangs the message is clearly you’re not cool.We’ve made it cool to wear a uniform and be in the marching band or on the football team.We’ve made it cool to be recognized as “a caring student” or a “community buddy” or a “kind soul”, and award accordingly.But I am tired of seeing the pages of local news, community papers, and school newsletters filled predominantly with the focus on the non-academics. I am glad they’re signNowing out to collect candy for servicemen, stop bullying, knit blankets for breast cancer fighters, and paint murals on abandoned walls.But the oratorical contest winners, the top grade achievers, the perfect attendance people… they’re mentioned off to the side. Because, boring!I’m all for being caring. I truly am!But I’m seeing graduate after graduate come out with an “I want to be a cosmetologist and do hair for kids who made it through chemo” mentality. And we need those sweet souls.But then an awkward guy admits he wants to make it into Johns Hopkins for an elite program geared for eventually treating a rare form of pediatric cancer and everyone’s like “okay, what a nerd”.Being smart is cool.Having an education - wanting an education - is cool.And you know what else is cool?Voting.Peer pressure is an awful thing, folks. I grew up amongst people who held strong values dearly - and I was still looked at sideways because I voted as soon as I was old enough, and cared about it before then.Because… umm… we’re not sure where the polling place is, and, like, super awkward, and all old people…I can recall seeing someone my age twice while voting. Twice. I’m not counting going with my husband.I don’t remember the last time I chatted with someone in their 20s about voting. That’s a symptom of what began a decade ago in their lives! What is neat is that our little rural county is waking up - the newest people to run for office included a large number of 20-somethings.You know who won, out of those younger people? The guy who spends his working days out on road patrol for the sheriff’s office, who spent his days after school tagging around after volunteer firefighters, who wrote eloquent and meaningful press releases during his campaign.You know who didn’t win? The guy nobody knew who just ranted a lot and works for some big corporation.But you know who mostly won?Old people.I’m all for experience and knowledge. But our youth are tricking themselves into believing that because they aren’t full-fledged Solomons laden with wisdom, they can’t make a difference - and besides, that’s not cool.Youth can make a difference. Particularly when it’s paired up with the wisdom of the gray haired veterans. But who’s going to admit that they spend their afternoons hanging out with the county historian researching early settlers, or spout statistics about poverty and employment agencies? Few teens I know!I’m not saying all teens need to study all the local elections and volunteer at campaign offices. But since when did knowing what was going on in government become embarrassing?!We parents aren’t helping. The more we jam “you’re just a clueless teen” down kids’ throats, the more they will buy it. How about building them up a bit here?Once upon a time our country lived and grew and struggled upwards on the shoulders of its youth. It still is - it still can.But if being smart, and knowledgeable about current events, and reading something besides a social media newsfeed is embarrassing… then I’m terrified.Teens, you have brains. Good brains. Smart brains. Wise brains. Don’t be afraid to use them. Don’t be embarrassed to get good grades.Don’t feel awkward because you care.Because it’s good to care. And we need you to care.Be cool. Use your brain.Edit to add:The question asks what the writer personally observes. Thus, my answer is American-specific, with a heavy influence from observations gained in a very financially challenged, heavily rural region with heavily dysfunctional families - and often struggling graduation rates.My observations regarding school culture are not high-school specific; rather, I see a trend beginning as early as fourth grade and continuing on, as a minority of budding pre-teens hesitantly explain that they truly would rather go design a soapbox derby car than play the latest video game or roam the street.Again, remember: American specific observation, made by a lifelong American, with a lifetime in an area where dumb is valued - including among adults.

Around 1993 or 1994, I was working at a community clinic, which is basically slave labor for trainees / interns. Little to no pay, but you get supervision and rack up a lot of hours quickly. Mental Health Services were on the 4th floor, and regular health services were on the 3rd floor, and we’d get a fair number of referrals from the health clinic. A lot of drug users and alcoholics, cases of abuse, runaway teenagers, and so forth. If you were one of the on-call trainee / interns, you handled the walk-ins and referrals as they came, so you never really knew who or what was going to walk in that door.I had a walk-in one afternoon, and this guy could have been my youngest brother’s twin. I did a double-take when he came in the door, holding his referral slip from downstairs in his hand. He told me his name, it was the same name as my brother. So that was a little unsettling. He filled out his paperwork slowly, distractedly but only got about halfway through it and then came back to the counter and asked if it was necessary to finish the whole form, or could he do it later, or while we talked? Sure, that was not a problem, so I led him to one of the session rooms. He sat down and handed me his form, half filled out. I looked it over; his handwriting was neat and legible, so apparently not a drug addict or alcoholic. No spelling errors, he had the day and date correct, so no cognitive issues, at least not yet. He was dressed casually but appropriate. Typical 19 or 20 year old kid, damn if he didn’t look just like my little brother. And the same name, too.I was still scanning over his paperwork, and was just about to ask him what brings him here today, and how can we help him, when my eyes hit on the point at which he had stopped filling out the form. He had only just now come from getting the results of his blood test: positive for HIV.I didn’t need to ask what brought him here today.There sat my little brother’s double, across from me, barely 19 or 20 years old, looking me straight in the face, white as a sheet, and incredibly sad and terrified at the same time and begging for someone to do something to make this go away and not be real, to turn the clock back one hour, one week, one month and change everything. What can you possibly say in a moment like this? “How can I help you?” That falls so far short of what is wanted and needed.In all honesty, I can’t remember how the rest of that hour went. I vaguely recall setting up some plans with him to follow up with the health clinic, keep his next appointment, talking about next steps, etc. Filling out the rest of his paperwork with him, and writing some action items down for him. At one point while we were doing this, he looked up at me and in a small voice, barely above a whisper, said, “I don’t want to die.”What do you say? What words can possibly be helpful? Rather lamely, I answered, “I know.” Then the dam burst. This was going to kill his mother. He had been kicked out of his house when his parents discovered he was gay; he had been living on the streets; gay for pay to be able to eat and pay rent; but he had recently found a full-time job, and a decent apartment, and had started to patch things up with his parents (through his sister, with whom he had stayed in touch). It had looked as if a reconciliation might be possible. And now this…What can you say? I don’t remember the rest of the session. What I remember is the look in his eyes when my little brother’s double told me he didn’t want to die. I can still see that and hear him saying it. After that, the rest of it is a blank.That was the hardest hour I had with a client.

Disclaimer : The opinions I present below are my own. I don’t look to hurt any sentiments. Here goes :)Background to why I’m answering this qn: My father was born and raised in Bangalore. I’ve visited ( many childhood/teen summers) and now live (2.5 yrs) and work here. I’ve seen the city metamorphasis over the years.What ails this city and how we can fix it to prevent the city’s death:Green Space : Built up Space - This split is getting reduced every year, with developers building up apartments 20 storeys high and putting in manicured carpet like lawns. That doesn’t count as greenery. In my humble opinion, every developer should plant an equivalent amount of trees for the built up space for which ever development they are making. Unless this approach is followed (enforced as rule) we can very well look at Bangalore becoming a water starved, concrete jungle.Metro + BMTC : Inadequate ? - The Metro project is finally showing effectiveness in pockets. A fast track approach to this is required because there is a huge lack of public transportation frequency still in many areas. BMTC has done a commendable job across the years, but its time to clean up the less frequent routes and add more buses to high traffic routes.Odd-Even: I am a firm believer that while the implementation of this in New Delhi yielded good results. Bangalore can be a city where this can be implemented more frequently. To begin with, twice a month. This will help to some what improve quality of air we breathe. Traffic lights/queuing are another easy way to better traffic flow to prevent congestion.Waste Disposal & Sewage: Being from Kerala, a state that enjoys perennial rainfall 4 months a year in different varieties - steady drizzle, soft drizzle and heavy sheet rains with or without winds that sway/break coconut trees down, I was shocked when a street in JP Nagar (up market mind you) filled up after 1 hour of rain. Its a pity how much manual scavanging is done every day, yet those efforts are not enough. Privatizing some of the waste disposal (removal of plastics and silicon based products) as well as slowly rebuilding our aged out sewage system are the solutions. Else we are going to find ourselves battling - malaria, typhoid, TB, dengue and plague come rainy season.Timed School & Work Timings: I believe its Singapore that follows this simple rule, where schools are let go 1 hour prior to any companies are allowed to leave. Thus allowing school buses and parents to get their kids out of schools, on and off the roads well before companies release their bus loads of employees and individuals speeding away on bikes, cars, OLAs and Ubers. Ex: All schools across Bangalore to strictly let kids go by 3 p.m. Gives buses/parents time till 4:30 to get kids home. All companies to release employee shuttles/buses/cabs only by 4:45 or 5 p.m. Singapore enjoys good flow of traffic and much less confusion and delay because of this.Another key thing observed is movement of heavy vehicles : road rollers, JCBs, heavy equipment, factory parts (small and large). This should be slotted for times between 10 p.m to 5 a.m, to prevent mass blocks along roads. This would also allow logistics and transport companies to send out consigments in time. Also save the pain for commuters on the road.Teach Driving : The job of the RTO while issuing a license shouldn’t be limited to just this. Teaching proper driving skills - switch indicators on/off, signalling turnings, obeying traffic rules and controlled speeds while drivin is key. Adequate checks need to be in place also to ensure that all driving are peanlised in a 3 strike system. Strike 1 - peanlty in cash. Strike 2 - penalty in cash and 10 hrs of community service. Strike 3 - peanlty in suspension of license (15 days) and 30 hrs of community service.A State’s Duty: This is a far fetched idea but safety for our women folk starts at the port of entry. State Tourism Department alon with IRCTC and AAI (Airport Authority of India) could put in place a package - List of emergency phone numbers, a can of pepper spray, one packet mix of pepper poweder and chilly powder, an information form to fill out at a kiosk (which gets fed to Bangalore Police DB) prior to leaving the rail station/airport.All these I think will be small steps in the process of making and keeping Bangalore Alive n Kicking :)

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