Idealism..

I read an interesting piece in the Herald by Hugh Mackay reflecting on an Essay competition for Year 5-12's, the theme of which was What Matters? Mackay wrote in the article that the theme running through many of the entries, including Erin's (the winner): "was the idea that we ourselves, though our own behaviour, are helping to shape the kind of society Australia will become. It is encouraging that read that many young people are also engaging with the question what kind of place is Australia going to be in the future, and what are we going to do about it?" Mission Australia regularly produce a survey of youth (what the value, what worries them, who they turn to for help, its an interesting read).

Here's how Mackay ends his article:

Whether you choose to become a teacher, a politician, a nurse, an engineer, an accountant, a scientist or a carpenter, you'll also be a son or daughter, a sister or brother, a friend, a neighbour, perhaps a husband, wife, father or mother.

You'll also have clients or customers, colleagues, a boss. The way you handle all those personal connections, in all those contexts, will help to determine the kind of society we will become.

Of course, some of you will make huge cultural, scientific or political contributions to the future of Australia; some will turn out to be leaders and visionaries who inspire others on a grand scale. Some will educate us, some will amuse us, some will help to explain us to ourselves. Most of your contributions - like most of ours - might seem less spectacular than any of that, but here's what really matters: the way you respond to the needs of strangers, the way you listen, the way you take other people seriously.

Many of you already know all that. The greatest disservice the rest of us could do you would be to infect your idealism with our weary cynicism.

[Aside: Mission Australia also have a blog which is also worth a read]

And, on a completely different note:

Santa nailed to cross to protest against Xmas commercialism (courtesy of The Age)