Sometimes, I don’t think that our young people get enough credit for their good deeds and positive vibes in which they put out every day. Similar to the adult world, the criminal and negative activity conducted by a small percentage of our young people will get publicized but it’s very rare that the countless good deeds of the majority will get any attention at all.
Whenever I’m in the company of young people not only do I love hearing about what they are currently doing, but I also love to listen to their thoughts, ideas, and dreams about their future. It’s easy to get the wrong impression about some of today’s youth, especially when you enter a fast-food restaurant and the teen behind the counter greets you as if you’d just interrupted his or her break and everything mentioned about providing good customer service during their orientation went straight out the window after their first week on the job. And of course, not all teenagers act this way. Personally, I try to look pass these few young individuals who, unfortunately, give teenagers a bad reputation.
The open discussions I have during and after a classroom book talk session with students are some of the most engaging and intriguing discussions I’ve ever heard. The questions, comments, and opinions of some of these young people just blows my mind, and any reservations or doubts I might have had about our youth running the country in the future quickly dissipates after listening to the students intelligently articulate and express themselves on a wide range of subjects, including sex, politics, fashion trends, gun control, and race relations. What I enjoy most during my school book talks is how the students typically would freely say things that most people would only feel comfortable saying at the kitchen table or privately among their close friends or family members. In my personal opinion, I think that we need more of these open discussions in America so that we can improve our race relations and the basic way we treat each other here in America (and around the world.)
When I’m surrounded by these bright kids I wish that others could hear their thoughts and opinions about what’s going on in the world today. In my most recent high school visit, the students and I covered a wide range of interesting topics, including the removal of Confederate statues, the NFL national anthem – kneeling debate, the delayed Puerto Rico disaster FEMA relief, gun control, human trafficking, teen homelessness, bullying, immigration and DACA. I’ll never forget this most recent school visit because I was asked a question by one of the students in which I’d never been asked before. She asked, “Mr. Camp, if there was one person right now, in the whole world, who you would love to meet and ask him or her a few questions, who would it be?” You should’ve seen the looks on the kids’ faces as I quickly answered, “Malala Yousafzai”. And, interesting enough, my response to that question actually led us into another engaging and lively discussion.
Yes indeed, I have tremendous faith in our amazing youth, and I truly believe that we have a very bright future ahead. – Randolph Randy Camp
*(photo: Me standing amid high school students after a meet-the-author/book talk discussion.)
More at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp
When people choose to only see one color they become blind. Some people only mingle, socialize and support one color, believing that their chosen color is superior to the rest. This way of thinking and view of the world actually imprisons and limits them. Racist attitudes makes people “blind” and it’s a death trap. Our world is so much brighter and alive when we open our mind and display our ‘rainbowness’. Trying to talk to or convert a racist person is certainly a challenge. The best we can do is just being ourselves, being rainbows, expressing and displaying our positive rainbow vibes in whatever way possible, be it through art, sportsmanship, literature, being a great neighbor, ect…
I grew up around some of these “blind” racist people, and it’s sickening to me now, in 2017, to see a leader in the White House, such a juvenile man without a soul, who seemingly carries these same blind traits. Common sense tells us that we shouldn’t follow a spiritless person who has no soul because they will only lead us to nowhere. One of the signs of a great leader is the ability (or at least, showing an effort) to bring people together. When our leaders are void of unifying leadership qualities that’s when us rainbows, us everyday people have to step up and shine a little brighter.
Calling all rainbows. This is our time. We can’t change the world over night, but possibly with one person at a time, one coworker at a time, one neighbor at a time, one classmate at a time, we can start the baby steps towards a change of heart in a few. If our leaders continue to stay ‘blind’, we must pick up the slack and continue to express and display our positive rainbow vibes. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp
It’s a laid back Sunday and I’m going to watch my all-time favorite movies, which are ‘Imitation of Life’, ‘Billy Jack’, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, ‘Butterfield 8’, and ‘A Patch of Blue’. Along with my love of music, these five movies all had a hand in developing me as a writer. Note that there are two film versions of ‘Imitation of Life’, the black and white original from the 1930’s and the colorized 1959 version. I love them both! Also, there are actually four movies in the ‘Billy Jack’ series. I’m partial to the second movie in the series, in which some, unofficially, calls it ‘Billy Jack 2’. It’s the one whereby Billy defends the kids at the Freedom School (on the Reservation). What are your favorite movies? There’s something truly magical about movies, especially when you can identify and relate to certain characters. At a young age I fell in love with stories, characters, and writing. As a kid, I used to dream about writing my own book one day. I remember some kids would call me crazy for having such wild, far-fetched dreams. Now, all these years later, one of my novels ‘Wet Matches’ is on a long journey to come alive on the silver screen. Whatever your ‘thing’ is, please don’t let anyone discourage you from ‘going for it’….and don’t be afraid to dream BIG! – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp
*(photo: Indie Movie Producer Rachel Rand and me)
One of my childhood joys was riding my bike through the back roads of Spotsylvania County. Sometimes, my cousins, my brothers and I would ride together. I’ll never forget this one particular summer’s day when I was riding alone. I was slowly pedaling pass a white house with green-trimmed windows. I heard a young voice yell out “Randy! Randy!” From around the corner of the house one of my classmates was excitedly waving ‘hello’. I slowed to a stop and we chatted about how our summer break was going and how we both were wondering who our teachers would be once school starts in several weeks. We were both unapologetic book nerds and the kind of “weird” kids who couldn’t wait to go back to school. Our friendly chat was abruptly cut short when the front door hastily flew open and her angry, red-faced father yelled and ordered her to “Get in the house!”
Growing up as a Black kid in America certainly wasn’t easy. Many people of color could tell you countless stories of walking casually along the country road or city sidewalk and someone yells out a derogatory word from a passing vehicle. When I was a kid I would always wish and hope that things would get better between the races. It seems as though I was always looking for that glimmer of hope.
Nowadays, as I strongly advocate “start with one person at a time”, I wholeheartedly believe that things will get better, and my proof and example of my faith and hope stems from one of many personal life experiences. Remember the young White classmate who I was chatting with on that summer’s day and her racist father told her to “get in the house!”…Well, she had moved away from her racist father and now owns a small independent bookstore near the Virginia-Maryland state line. We still keep in touch, and she proudly has my four books on full display near the entrance of her store, especially ‘Wet Matches’, she says, as it carries the message of “don’t judge anybody.”
We’re in the fall of 2017 and America is seemingly regurgitating history, instead of moving wisely forward and learning from it. My message to everyone (especially to those kids out there who are currently wishing and hoping that things will get better) is to keep doing what you’re doing and please don’t fall into the trap of negativity. There are far more positive people in this world than negative ones, and you’re certainly one of the good ones. And that glimmer of hope for a better world will come from you. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp
