“some of these kids… no one’s ever told them they could be good at anything.”
of everything David Perry and i discussed the day he invited me to be a part of ICiT, this one sentence has stuck with me.
maybe because that is not the world i grew up in. it’s not the America i grew up in. it’s not the reality i grew up in. yet it’s the narrow reality for so many people (let alone children) in our world.
possibility
see, i grew up in the America inhabited by such great thinkers as Dr. Emmett L. Brown, who said “if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” i grew up in a reality full of heroes like Drs. Peter Venkman and Ray Stantz, heroes ready to believe me. i grew up in a world where desert farm boys can become space fighter pilots and save not only the universe but also their fathers.
Jerry Seinfeld said, “when men are growing up, and they’re reading about Batman, Spider-Man, Superman… these aren’t fantasies; these are options.”
there’s something magical about the confident naivety of a child, not knowing that they cannot do something. not understanding the concept of impossible. believing that they can be great at something. depending on those that love them to help them grow into super people.
i think it is this naked hope and dependence that prompts Jesus, in all His wisdom, to say that unless we become like little children, we can never experience everything that Life has to offer.
ICiT
i want you to know about ICiT – Inspiring Creative innovative Thinkers. i won’t spend many words here, but you can click this link and explore the site on your own.
the short story is that students come to the Y during the summer and learn to write a story in the form of a screenplay. at the end of the camp, one screenplay from each class is chosen to be produced as a short film. i produced and directed the 2010 film, and i’ll be directing one of this year’s films (selected in 2011) written by Jessica Polk.
at noon on December 3rd (one week from today), there is a unique, one-time giving opportunity. the Microsoft Corporation will be matching gifts to ICiT dollar for dollar. all donations are tax-deductible, and you can donate from $1-$10,000. learn more here.
vision
this project lets children know that the things they have to say matter to someone and have huge impact, for better or for worse.
this is something that’s in my DNA, it’s in my upbringing, it’s in my heart. it’s why i’m a filmmaker. i want this wonder and hope to be available for every child. i want every child to peer into the world — not seeing what isn’t, but envisioning what might soon be.
i see it. and i want these kids to see it, too.
find ICiT on facebook.
find the giving event here.
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