Fall is quickly upon us and the NOISE project is moving into full swing. The pods composed of Emery Collegiate students and York students have begun their group meetings. There is something about having the youth from Emery present that breathes new energy into the project. Just this morning I was listening to the other GA’s talk about the inspiring and exciting things that are happening in their groups. There is a new tone and a new burst of vitality that is already beginning even after one week of meetings.
The brilliant ideas that come from the minds of young people always reassure me that the world is a beautiful place. One young man proposed that in his perfect world there would be no money because everything would be free. I asked him what might happen if I wanted something. He said there would be no jobs. Instead if people would like to have things they would need to earn credits. The credits would be obtained by doing things to help the environment and kind acts for other people. There would be a rating scale where you would get more credits for example for saving someone’s life than you would opening a door for someone. When I asked him would people be limited by the amount of credits they could get. He sat thoughtfully and said no, of course not because they would just be making the world a really good place. I then asked what would happen if someone just opened doors all day and ran in and out (because there would be no jails). He said well, I suppose they would have to loose some credit because that would be deceptive. I can’t say that I had this much wisdom at the age of fourteen.
This same young person also suggested that in his perfect world people would only go to school when they wanted to learn about something. Another young person suggested that we make a new language that everyone could learn if they wanted to so that we could all talk to each other. In these ideal worlds there was peace, equality, and unwavering belief that we all need to be good and kind to one another.
I can only imagine the incredible project ideas that are going to come out in the next months with all of the Emery students enthusiasm and zeal for the things that many of us may have forgotten were possible.
This has been a new and educational journey to date, and I have found myself doing things I never thought possible … for example I figured out (I think) how to Twitter, or tweet or twit. I also was reminded that it is weird to call anyone under the age of nineteen on the phone, apparently texting is the way to go, and only grandparents call on telephones!
So with the Fall upon us and the winter soon on its way I would like to dedicate these cool seasons to ‘what if’s’, and to possibility and energy that is truly one of the very special gifts of Jane-Finch youth.
~ Sarah MacDonald, @NOISEGASarah