When I was a kid, and then a teen; there were good places and there were bad places to be while in school. And the bad places were many: the Principal’s office (many visits there), assemblies (particularly awards and “Welcome back” ones); classes with a miserable just about to retire, bitter, hates kids teachers; and of course: detentions. My second home for most of grade ten. However, and thankfully, there were also good places in school; namely, the cafeteria, guidance office, and, surprisingly, the library.

The cafeteria was great, because other than the assigned teacher/guard, other teachers didn’t venture there much. That was our land. I can remember the long lineups to buy little – very little – boats of french fries, complete with watery gravy – for an extra nickel. And whereas the gravy made the fries more like a soup, at least it was hot. Which was more than I could say for the fries. In my youth, cafeteria fries were a luxury for those who had the forty cents, but at the same time, were a necessity. So, being that my friends and I didn’t have the money for a plate; we’d do the next best thing, and share one order between six of us. And since ketchup and salt were free, we’d pile those on too, with the occasional addition of horseradish, for those who wanted an exotic moment.

The guidance office was also a relative paradise, because as in the case of the cafeteria; teachers didn’t come in much. And besides, the guidance counselors seemed, in subtle ways, to be on our side. Oh sure, they wouldn’t let you skip a math test to visit them, but if the teacher was really out of line – which was more often than you’d think; then the counselors would go to bat for us. Their offices also had every university/college/work and whatever catalogue ever printed, and sometimes posters of cool careers and far off places. (Better than the periodic table poster of physics or chemistry or whatever class that was.) I can also still remember the attitudes of the counselors: polite, optimistic, resourceful, and above all –unhurried; and I can also remember how they really believed you could succeed. Here would I be, sitting in the counselor’s office, trying to kill time so I could miss my class, and thinking what would be the easiest, cheapest, non-studiest program to get into – and here would be this counselor; telling me to work hard and become a somebody.

I sigh (kidding) when I think of how the only place better than the counselor’s office; was the library; where I slept – I mean…”studied” – many an hour; not to mention daydreaming, designing cool guitars, looking at girls, thinking about girls, and looking at girls. (For the record; there were also many hours spent thinking about cars, surfboards, basses, drums, overthrowing the school’s regime, injustice and etc.

The library had shelves to hide behind, books with pictures, magazines (a few cool ones), and the librarians themselves. These ranged from the fun easy going part time ones, to the vicious anti-human, fossilized, “my-way-or-no-way” career ones; with both providing entertainment in their own ways.

My memories of those years is clear and somewhat poignant (first time I’ve ever used that word); so I guess it wasn’t all bad. I do also remember the little everyday challenges and persecutions that a Christian kid had to live with. In no particular order, I remember looking up after I had bowed my head in grace at lunch, and seeing a face or two staring at me like I was some kind of loser. I also remember feeling awkward when evolution was presented as fact in science class.

I grew up in the 1970s, where drugs were everywhere – a gift from the hippy sixties; and many of my friends had an older brother or sister who did drugs. At this time, it was also tough to make friends, without slamming them with judgment; because it was a fine line to be a person’s friend, and yet ignore his drug and alcohol use. I finally gave up, dropped my old friends, and made new Christian ones. It was a great decision.

Although I was a Christian, and saw Christian kids at church – all starched and being forced to look like civilized little copies of their starched and civilized parents; I would be both surprised and delighted to see how real and alive they were at Friday youth group – especially when we had outings. I can’t tell you how much fun it was to go bowling with a group of kids, where there would be no swearing, coarse talk, smoking or insulting. A Large part of fun was that we all went to different schools; which meant we had different friends and experiences to share.

I think one of the best parts of being part of a Christian youth group, was that we were so unplugged from the rest of the world. We had no knowledge of or interest in the secular stuff. Of note, was that our activities were planned for us by caring adults, who were also anxious to include us in the proceedings; while the secular kids on the other hand, would simply shuffle or maraud around the neighborhood, and top off the evening with some alcohol, drugs or some other illegal activity.

When I think back on my highschool days, I’m content; however with that said; I know that this feeling is only due to God having the kindness to have directed me to some good people at that time. I would say to the Christian parent and child of today; look into and get your kids into a good Christian youth group. The teen years should be filled with innocent wholesome fun – and the secular world will conspire to destroy this, however, a safeguard against that, is the strength we have in numbers if we are part of a Christian group.

To the parents of today I also say: Don’t force your kids to study their childhood away (study is good; but only to a point), don’t send them to Saturday school, force them to take piano lessons, waste their time shoving your culture down their throats, or any of the rest…just let them have fun. Summer computer camp? – Come on! Forget it!

There’s no reason to made a big deal about this; just get your kids into a good Christian group, let them grow as people…and, let them have fun.