Out of the Mouths of Babes

It has been quite some time since I last blogged but a lot has happened and a fair bit has to do with my work. Thought I would share a few insights that I have gained from working with teens and children since I began working at Barrhead Public Library just over 8 1/2 years ago.

The title of a rather famous Television show of a few years go was Kids Say the Darndest things. I believe it was hosted by the comedian Bill Cosby and he would interview quite young children on various topics and they would come up with some rather amusing and hilarious answers to questions posed. Well, I have had the same happen in my line of work. I keep thinking I should have written all the one-liners, mostly unintentional that I have heard. However, most are forgotten, unfortunately, other statements not so much. One I do remember and still get a chuckle over is when I was talking to a young girl, actually young teenager who was in the library one day. She mentioned she wanted to place a hold on a book written by Phil Callaway, Christian humorist. I mentioned to her that I had gone to high school and college with Phil whereupon she looked at me with this quizzical look and stated matter of factly "Oh I don't think Phil was that old!" After almost falling off my chair in laughter and with her mother standing behind I then stupidly asked well, how old did she think I was, and she basically hit it straight on! Yes I have heard lots of these type of statements over the years.

However, when I think of things coming out of the mouths of babes I am drawn to how they view their world and it saddens me. Yes there are still the amusing statements like the young grade one boy who straight faced told me that the reason he had so many names was because his mother had so many boyfriends! I admitted it struck me as very funny at the start, but then when you think of it this is a sad commentary on our society when a young child really does not have a grasp of a strong family unit. I could unfortunately point out to you many children in the elementary school of which I am a part of that don't have the privilege of having a strong family unit, i.e. mother and father both at home (and this in a small rural community of just over 10,000).

I have also had a young grade one girl comment to me, on my noting that she had moved away and then moved back, that the reason she had moved was that one aunt had kicked the family (again not sure if it is just a single parent family or not) out of the house and the girl and her family was now living with another relative. Again what does this say about our society where a child does not have a firm grasp of what it means to belong to a loving family unit and its support. I am thankful for my family and how I have a godly heritage but so many children today not only don't experience in their blood relations but even have no concept of love from extended family and friends.

One other series of comments that really has impressed on me where our children and youth are growing up today was made by another young teen girl a few years ago that I had confronted about something. Someone had reported to me in the library, one early September afternoon, that there were some kids up on the roof of the building. I had gone out to investigate and noted some young people walking away from the school. As I had recognized one of the girls I mentioned to her when she was in the library the next day that she had been up on the roof. Initially she said no she hadn't been up on the roof with anyone and then she stunned me. "No, Mr. Goldsmith I was actually the only one up on the roof because that is the only place where I feel safe and can listen to my music or else I would kill myself." I admit I was totally floored by this admission, as even though this girl I knew was a troubled girl was not expecting that admission and I did talk to a counselor about her later. Unfortunately another time this girl confided when I said I hadn't seen her for quite some time (at a later date) that the reason was she had been a victim of a rape. I admit even though I am a Christian and have theologicial training one does not always have the strength to cope with situations like. These comments show that our youth and children are growing up in a friendless (so it seems like to so many of them), loveless, and hopeless world. My heart cries out for them.

Many years ago when I was attending college a classmate used to sing a song "Let Me See this world dear Lord as though I were looking through your eyes..." The past 8 1/2 years, though at times to be honest I would prefer not to have been at Barrhead Public Library has caused me to at times want to paraphrase that song as to say "let me say this world dear Lord as though I were looking through children's eyes" as many of them have gone through things I never experienced as a child and it makes me want to see them experience the love and joy (though I don't always express it or feel it myself) that I have had with a loving family and a loving God.

So yes, kids do say the darndest things, but many more times they say some very profound and heartbreaking things and we need to listen to what comes out of the mouths of babes.