hope for the future

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
we see on tv and the internet about young kids today
gangs drugs alcohol teenage pregnancy dropouts
all bad things get shown on tv and the internet
it seems not enough good stuff is told about these kids

we get groups to come out and work at the habitat for
humanity builds
whenever i see that a group of youth is coming from a
high school or school club or college or church youth group
i get excited because i know its going to be a good day
supervising them and interacting with them
as we do projects on the habitat house and property

i like to find out what their goals are where they plan
on going to college what else they are doing in their lives
much like i use to do with my patients when i was
in practice

hopefully along the way these kids learn something they can
carry with them into the future

this last weekend we had the womens softball team from
westwood high school come work with us doing landscape
as their day to bond together and learn to work together
here is the group prework day
notice the smiles

those black uniforms they use to practice in did not stay completely
black all day long

heres  what we started with that day
rocks from the limestone were scattered everywhere
then there was rocks that were dug up from the ground during
construction
wheelbarrows and wheelbarrows and wheelbarrows of them

you know rocks just grow around here and pop out of the ground
if you have ever gardened here you know what i mean

there also was a lot of lumber scattered everywhere left over from
framing and concrete work
then there was scattered trash also
in other words the lot was a mess

these players worked hard all day
but i think they enjoyed the work and the companionship with
each other
they cleared out all that mess
folks it was a lot
i told one of the volunteers im glad we didnt get the sod to lay today
since there is so much junk that needs to be removed from this property

they moved yards of mulch to the new beds we made for
the new home owner

they moved a lot i mean a lot of dirt and spread it across the yard
preparing the yard for the sod laying next week

since they have to rake their softball infield they did a great job
the best ive ever seen
of raking out the dirt
even making designs like you see in those zen gardens

they also moved a big pile of river rock to the area
between the street and the sidewalk
that nomansland thats hard to maintain

they planted plants xeric native plants

then
they as a group got together and bought a plant
an esperanza yellow belle to be donated to the new home owner
they presented it to her with the captains making the
presentation to the owner
what a speech each gave

the homeowner cried
ok i teared up some as did others
parents of these women would be so proud of them

then
we all got together with the homeowner for a final picture

and
then
here is what the yard looks like at the end of the day

we have eliminated a fourth of the front yard
planted xeric plants
heavily mulched everything
rocked the nomansland
slowed down the flow of water off the property so more water
will remain in her yard

so at the end of the day
we were all tired
a good tired
but
those players were still smiling as they left
oh to have some of that energy

and
as i was driving home that day i thought again

these kids are
our hope for the future

we should be hearing more of their stories
they will be our doctors lawyers politicians maybe president
teachers daughterinlaws wives
our bosses

and
then
maybe

we wont worry so much about our future

the organicgreen doctor