Yesterday I had the great privilege to speak at a TEDx event in Mississauga. If you have never heard of TED they are committed to Ideas Worth Spreading and provide videos of people speaking on an insane amount of different topics.

Here in Mississauga our theme for the day was REBEL which provided a perfect opportunity to deliver the True Rebel Challenge to the 400 (or so) youth in attendance; Love, Dignity and Respect for every person.

I had a big crush on Elizabeth Shue when I was a kid. In 1987 Adventures in Babysitting came out and it started with Shue, playing Chris Parker, singing and dancing in her bedroom. That was enough for me. There is something about getting a glimpse of someone (even a character in a movie) having fun when nobody is supposed to be watching. There is a vulnerability and genuine joy about those moments. I don't think we let other people see us being silly enough.

The 'Day of Pink' was earlier this week. The day alerts people to the ongoing reality of bullying in our schools and communities. In honour of that day I wanted to link you to these music videos; they were made by high school students as a stand against bullying.

The show The Walking Dead is getting a lot of acclaim for its first two seasons, the second of which just concluded. Adapted from a graphic novel, this TV show follows the lives of characters trying to survive in a world that has been taken over by “walkers”, more commonly known as zombies.

I think it is important for us to hear perspectives that we don’t normally get a chance to hear; perspectives far different than our own, coming from a much different place. That is why I took the opportunity to read Jay-Z’s book Decoded when a youth who I meet with regularly offered to lend it to me.

I was introduced to these three stories today; three stories that can be very disheartening. Each one speaks to the difficultly of being a True Rebel voice as a young student.

I love movies! When I was a kid, going to the movie theatre was like an adventure! I still have vivid memory of my first couple visits and watching E.T. and Annie on the big screen. It was amazing!

“Youth are socially inept.”

“The youth aren’t cutting it.”

“Our youth feel so entitled; they’re always saying, ‘What’s in it for me?’”

Yesterday I went to a forum discussing youth employment. The employment rate for people 16 years old through their 20s is way down. This forum wanted to ask the question why?

Most of the story of St. Valentine is legend. While likely not having much historical merit, it is not surprising that lore rose up to connect St. Valentine to romantic notions that accompany February 14. There are actually multiple martyrs from the early church with the name Valentine and what is fact and what is fiction was blurred long ago.