I may be beating some sort of dead horse, but I really feel like I need address a very important issue. The generation of kids that are just below me, the ones that are in their awkward phase now: high schoolers and middle schoolers, get unfairly judged. I would argue that mine did too, but we are now old enough to either perpetuate or negate that belief. I work with these kids on nearly a daily basis. Now, I don't get a fair sampling of kids, although I do see a disturbing trend. These kids just need care and attention!
    Now for some of you that are parents of kids this age now, I know that your child is perfect, and I am clearly not talking about them! Get a clue! We wonder why sexual activity among teens continues to rise, we wonder why kids are increasingly withdrawn, and frankly have no respect for authority, but no one is willing to look at what could be a cause. Well, lets all look in the mirror. Why is it that we as a people allow trash to enter or households through TV on a regular basis? Have you watched what is on TV these days? I could pick on MTV, but that just isn't fair. Its everyone. Even I, a young adult who was very vulgar at one point (not so long ago) in my life, find this stuff repulsive. Now, I am not naive enough to believe that kids are they way they are because of TV alone. Rather I would argue that TV is only a result of the neglect kids face daily.
How many of you have taken the time to take a kid you know out just for the fun of it. Just to be a positive role model. It is sad how few people actually care enough to do this. Parents, you are included in this. Americans (I can argue this because I have lived in other cultures, both affluent and poor) have become so driven by status, money, and image that they will allow their true legacy, their kids, to turn into a failure. Check that, the children are not the failures. The parents are, the family friends are, and church families are. Get up, be a role model, make someone's life better besides your own. After all, you will fade into history some day too, and the only things you will have left to tell your stories are the people you impact that are significantly younger than you. Think about it.
    

I leave this Friday for Ecuador. I am going as part of a Youth group for which I am a sponsor. As part of the requirement for this mission trip all of those participating vowed to fast from media for the entire month of June. It is tough. I struggled for a long time, especially while the Cavs were busy being the traditional Cleveland team in the NBA Finals. My biggest gripe though it that I feel uninformed. I stayed up to date with the news when I was watching TV and surfing the internet, but now I feel detached and unaware. For the first few weeks I thought that this was a major problem. Then I realized how insignificant a single person can truly be. The idea that my lack of information had no bearing on my immediate surroundings, let alone the world at large was sobering. I think sometimes we assume too much of ourselves. I do. It has been interesting to see the transformation in my thought process throughout this endeavor. I am still the same person, but I have been humbled. I am not advocating that a person should be uninformed, because I whole heartedly disagree with complacency. I am simply saying that its a personal issue. There is no public forum in which anyone cares what I know about stabbings, baseball, or election campaign trail rhetoric. My knowledge is, at least to this point, and probably always be expendable. That is a tough pill to swallow.
When I talk about this media fast, people seem to think that I am being sheep. That I am doing what I am told, but that is not it at all. I am finding out who I am. One of the struggles in my recent past has been defining myself. Who is Darrell? Who is the real Darrell? I want to know what Darrell is like without the acronyms in front of it....you know, ESPN Darrell, MTV Darrell, CNN Darrell, dare I say Red Darrell or Blue Darrell! The only way I can find out what the meat and potatoes of my very being is, is to revisit my life, and who I am. So that is why I am abstaining from media until Friday, at which point, I will be in Ecuador.
Finding out who I am has been fun. Try it, challenge yourself.      

    I finally gave in. After hours of reading the ramblings of bloggers from all walks of life, I said to myself, "It's time to join the circus!" To give credit where credit is due, Hugh Hewitt was the catalyst for this life changing jump. I was reading his very inspiring book In But Not Of, a collection of insight on how to balance Christianity and the dog-eat-dog world of politics and foreign service when I decided that what I have to say could be important to someone. In all reality, I have no expertise. I am a student. I speak 6 languages, four of them very well (Finnish, Russian, German, and English) and the other two are slowly developing (BCS-Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, and Slovene). Really, what do I know? So I preface anything that I say with the caveat that I have a lot to learn, and that somewhere there is always someone who will know more than me about everything I know.  Take my opinions, words of advice, and random banter as just that.
    So, about Darrell the person. As I have eluded to, I am a Christian. A practicing one. I have made a conscious effort to find the path and stick to it. This is a path that I have definitely not followed all my life. For many of you (assuming many will read this), this perspective will be an immediate turn-off, which is unfortunate. I hope that you will find my words inspiring. I won't Bible Thump, or ramble about the lack-luster moral fiber of society. That is not who I am. Instead I will discuss issues in a manner that is not in conflict with the lifestyle that I have very gladly chosen to lead. It doesn't mean I cannot have fun!
    I grew up in a family that was far from normal. My parents ran a small equipment rental store, which meant that as a kid my summers were spent washing bulldozers, and teaching incompetent and easily insulted customers how to run machinery. They didn't like learning from a six year old, they didn't really have a choice though! My father was a great man. He had a temper that could break at any moment resulting in a projectile chain saw, but he was a good father. He died of cancer when I was 9. I think of that as a moment that defined me as a person, but that is a story for another day. My mom is a survivor. She managed the store, visited the hospital twice daily, took me to football and boy scouts and my sister to whatever activities she had. She never complained. She is unbelievable...and a little crazy. As nuts as she can be at times, it is her who taught me the meaning of hard work, the value of a dollar, and the way to be a good person. Thanks Mom! Moving on, my little sister (13 months younger than me) is the textbook definition of a firecracker. She will fight to the death for what she believes in, and is not afraid of anyone. We are very similar in that regard. Even at 23 and 24 we are very competitive. I love her though....and her husband too!
    The Word very often states that in all bad, good can be found. This is true even in the case of my father's death. Without that I would never have gotten to know my Step-Dad, he is a great friend, a good role model, and taught me that even when life just plain sucks, there is a light at the end of the tunnel! I am very grateful to have him in my life. His daughters and I struggled, and still struggle to have a healthy relationship, and I still blame them a little for making things with my Step-dad difficult during the early years (although I do know that I was an obnoxious little attention monger!!!), but they are getting better, we are getting better. Their kids are great...I love them too! They call me Uncle D.
    That is where I come from, it shaped my world. Now when I speak about issues that matter, you, as a reader will see the perspective from which I address the problem. Please, feel free to always tell me what you think. Good or bad. I want to know my readers, and know what they like to read about. I appreciate you, please visit again, and God Bless you!