Teens In Haiti

Haiti.  Until last week it was probably not a place in the forefront of the minds of people who reside elsewhere.  Probably not a place where many have studied or visited.  Probably not a place where it was thought unimaginable tragedy might occur.  Tragedy did occur and the people of the world, teens included, are left to ask: Where do we begin to understand?  Where can we get some reasonable rationalization?  Who can help us to make sense of such enormous tragedy, death and destruction?  What is going to happen to the people of Haiti... the children, the teenagers, the adults, the elderly? 

It's a safe guess that most of the teenagers in Haiti are probably similar to teenagers in other parts of the world.  They probably like to socialize.  They probably like sports.  They probably sometimes like school and sometimes don't like school.  They probably want to be independent of their parents, yet still depend on them for guidance, direction and money.  They probably endure feelings of stress and confusion regarding boyfriends or girlfriends.  They probably engage in HS rivalries, enjoy prom and party after graduation.  They probably worry about grades and college.  They probably are faced with peer pressures such as teenage pregnancy, violence or substance abuse.  They probably like to wear the clothes of popular designers and the shoes of famous athletes.  They probably sometimes make choices and decisions without regard to consequences.  They probably possess raw emotion, frankness and a good sense of right and wrong, as modeled by the adults in their lives. 

It's normal for teens to feel unsure about the future.  Unsure about decisions regarding educational goals or independent living.  As of January 12, 2010, the lives of Haitan teens will never be the same.  Gone are the normal stressors and worries that other teens may share.  Present is fear, anxiety, devastation.  What will they do?  Who will help them?  What does the future hold for them?  When will they be able to experience the life of a "normal" teenager again?  When will they hear the sound of the school bell or the voice of a teacher scolding her class for incomplete assignments or the excitement regarding the Friday nite dance or Saturday afternoon ballgame?  What will they tell teens who will come after them about life in the aftermath of an earthquake?

What can other teens do?  First, understand that life presents many challenges, some fair and some not fair.  Understand that your life as a teen is "cake" compared to the life of a teen in another part of the world.  Understand that the teens of Haiti are in need of goodwill.  Goodwill in the form of knowing that they share the bond of "adolescence" with all the teens of the world.  Teens like to help other teens.  They do it everyday in their own environments.  If you want to help the teens of Haiti, mobilize your friends, peers and classmates to organize donations to send to them in Haiti.   They need clothing, shoes, school supplies, books and most importantly, letters and words of support, encouragement and hope for a bright future.  Consider giving up a pair of shoes, some sports equipment, some hats to protect from the heat.  Make a list of the things you like as a teen.  Whatever you can give will be appreciated.  Teens in Haiti.  They are just like teens everywhere.  They need to be given the opportunity, once again, to experience the life of a teenager.