Out of the Mouth of Babes "Our Future Leaders"
Welcome to "Out of the Mouth of Babes: Our Future Leaders" with Kevin Handley Sr.!
In this enlightening and empowering podcast, we delve into the minds of the next generation—the brilliant and dynamic youth who hold the keys to our collective future. Join our host, Kevin Handley Sr., as he takes us on an inspiring journey through conversations with young visionaries, activists, innovators, and changemakers from around the world.
Each episode of "Out of the Mouth of Babes" brings you candid and thought-provoking interviews with these remarkable young individuals who are making a significant impact in their communities and beyond. From tackling pressing global issues to spearheading innovative projects, these youth leaders are reshaping the world as we know it.
Kevin Handley Sr., a seasoned and compassionate host, skillfully uncovers the stories behind these young achievers, delving into their motivations, challenges, and the transformative experiences that have shaped their journeys. Listeners will be inspired by the depth of insight and wisdom these young guests possess, proving that age is no barrier to effecting meaningful change.
Whether you're a parent, educator, community member, or simply passionate about youth-driven initiatives, "Out of the Mouth of Babes: Our Future Leaders" offers a unique platform to learn, engage, and celebrate the voices of the youth. Together, we can gain valuable perspectives and support the aspirations of these incredible young leaders, nurturing a brighter and more inclusive tomorrow.
Join us as we amplify the voices of the youth and discover the extraordinary potential that lies within "Out of the Mouth of Babes: Our Future Leaders" with Kevin Handley Sr. Be ready to be moved, motivated, and inspired!
Out of the Mouth of Babes "Our Future Leaders"
S1 EP6 pt2 - Finding Empowerment through Words and Action
Unlock the secrets to managing focus and anxiety in the classroom by navigating the complex terrain of school policies on music and phones. Discover how music can become an essential tool for students to drown out disruptions and sharpen their concentration, even in the most chaotic school environments. We'll also tackle the challenges of monitoring these tools in large school settings and propose a trust-based approach that empowers students while maintaining discipline.
Names are more than mere labels; they are a profound aspect of identity and respect. Join our exploration into the importance of name pronunciation and the boundaries it sets, as we shed light on the emotional turmoil faced by students with unique or intricate names. Together, we'll advocate for an atmosphere of patience and understanding to prevent microaggressions and nurture a more inclusive educational environment.
Examine the controversial landscape of school dress codes and their implications for gender equality. We'll question traditional restrictions on attire, pondering whether they stifle individuality or uphold necessary decorum. Finally, celebrate personal empowerment with us through a moving recitation of Marianne Williamson's "Our Deepest Fear," as we encourage listeners to embrace their potential and ignite a wave of inspiration among peers.
no-transcript. So for me, I need my music to like block everybody out. I need my music so I can actually be like no, I'm not going to talk to you right now, Because if not, I'm going to talk to you. I'm a talker.
Speaker 2:Exactly, yeah, and like the new cell phone policy, like she said, is definitely like phones are definitely a distraction. I think last year when I was feeling like when I was doing poorly, it was definitely because I was like I% am into that, but that doesn't mean necessarily that I failed, you know, I still it. Just I feel like it's case by case. Also, I think like they're okay, I understand, not using your cell phone during class, but no music when we're doing work time. I think that's a bit much because some kids they can't focus. A lot of my classes are loud and it's like, okay, that's going to hold me back a little bit, but they can't focus. A lot of my classes are loud and it's like, okay, that's going to hold me back a little bit. And then there's all these we're going to take it, all these little things about it and it's like I do think that they're definitely distractions, but I think they're doing a little bit too much with no music. No, because some people need those kind of things to concentrate.
Speaker 3:So how do you monitor that? What do you mean? How do you expect teachers and administrators to monitor when you're in a school that large to say, well, 500 of them need to hear music and the other 500 don't?
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, you could always just say you know this is work time If you guys would like to use it, Because one teacher said you can listen to music just through your laptop. I don't know any kid who does that, so it was kind of not an option.
Speaker 1:Sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off but, like I said, I need my music in the hallways, especially.
Speaker 2:For the anxiety.
Speaker 1:I freak out and you can't listen to music on your laptop in the hallway. I wouldn't mind listening to it on my laptop in class. That's fine with me, especially since it's saving my batteries.
Speaker 2:like I don't mind that, but your laptop is closed and with these new laptops, you, when they're closed, you can't listen to music, you can't keep it open. So it's like not an option and it's like, um, I just think you know I'm all for no cell phones in class. That's fine, because that kind of does help me, because you know I'm not distracted, I'm doing, I'm actually doing my work. But I definitely do think me listening to music helps me concentrate more and kind of does help me, because you know I'm not distracted, I'm actually doing my work. But I definitely do think me listening to music helps me concentrate more and kind of block out everything else and focus. And if I'm not allowed to do that, I feel like it's kind of just like and you said how do you monitor that? Like I was going to say like teachers hey, this is work time. If I see you abusing the power to listen to music, then you know that's when the rules set back in. I'm taking your phone.
Speaker 1:Exactly, just each individual kid. Exactly If you're on your phone. You don't need to be on your phone to change your music. Put it on a playlist Exactly, you're on it, I'm taking it Exactly.
Speaker 2:If you're changing the music, maybe that's okay, but if you're on it like just can I just listen to some music please?
Speaker 3:So you know, though, some of the people y'all hang with won't follow those rules, so how do? You expect the adults to monitor it. That's true, take each phone.
Speaker 2:Take each phone. You don't have to punish everyone, and when we get to a separate topic, I'll touch back on punishing everyone for certain people's mistakes or choices. If someone is abusing their power in your classroom you're a teacher someone is abusing their power, give them a warning. If they don't listen again, take that phone, take it up to the office. If that keeps happening, then you set rules in place for those certain people. Not everyone has to be punished because some people are doing the right thing.
Speaker 3:So what percentage would you say of people that are doing the right thing?
Speaker 2:Not a lot 4%.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So are you guys in that 4% oh?
Speaker 1:yeah, you just said you weren't. I said last year, oh, last year.
Speaker 2:This is our time to redeem ourselves.
Speaker 3:This is a redemption podcast with Avril and Aliyah. Now we're redeeming ourselves.
Speaker 2:But I think also we're more mature than we were six months ago.
Speaker 2:Okay, yes, we're more mature than we were last year and it's like now that I see myself I'm a sophomore. Now I can look back and say those things were distracting me, I'm glad that I don't have those things, or I'm glad that I noticed those things that were distracting me and I can set things in place. You know, you're always maturing. So six months ago I didn't have that mindset hey, these things are distracting me, these things are not helping me excel. But now I can see that, so it's redemption time basically.
Speaker 1:It's redemption time 100%.
Speaker 2:I'm 100% because Learning from ourselves and helping ourselves, yeah, self-reflection 100% you know, be able to criticize yourself and be able to take constructive criticism from others too, because, as your teacher's telling you I got a couple teachers I know like they're real, they're going to tell you straight up like Aaliyah you don't work when your phone's around. All right, then take my phone for this class period, I can respect you if you respect me.
Speaker 1:I don't work when your phone's around, all right, then take my phone for this class period. I can respect you if you respect me.
Speaker 2:I can work with what I'm giving. You know, if you're willing to work, you're willing to help me exactly, and that's what, as the teachers, they should do. You know, if they see a student is struggling, they don't have to call them out and nitpick at them. You know, maybe they could pull them to the side outside of class and just be like hey, um, I can see like you're not getting your work done, like we can make it an alternative, but, like I said, teachers just want to punish everyone and I don't think that's fair, you know.
Speaker 3:So what role do you all think you should be in Like? What roles do you think you should play in the decision-making process?
Speaker 2:Us as students. As students, at least 50% of it.
Speaker 3:So what does that mean?
Speaker 2:Like they shouldn't just think like oh, I mean, like I said, it's not fair.
Speaker 1:I understand, okay, I can see both parts of everything. Yeah, I can see all perspectives, Like I understand why they're doing this, and I understand why the adults make the decisions in our life. It's their school, it's their board, whatever.
Speaker 2:Their job.
Speaker 1:But you're literally living my life for me. You're picking the decisions that I have, like You're literally living my life for me. You're picking the decisions that I have, you're picking the options. You're limiting everything that I can do. School is supposed to be a safe place and, if I could add, actually going to the first week of school, they had made a new law saying if you go by something else in school, like if my name is Aaliyah, if I went by, all by alley, they by law have to contact my parents. And school is supposed to be a safe place and now it's becoming this place where nobody wants to go, everybody's skipping school, everybody's skipping class, scared of people in it, scared of the teachers, even like.
Speaker 2:I'm glad that you touched on that, because I kind of forgot that, because it doesn't necessarily apply to me I don't go by a nickname, but it's I'd be like I hurt for you, like this is the only place you, this is the one place that you should feel safe at and your teachers call you what you want, they make you feel at home.
Speaker 2:And now you can't even have that because they got to call your parents exactly, and that law has been pending since may, right, and it just got passed. So teachers were letting, notifying everyone, letting them know, and they're saying like we could lose our jobs if we don't notify parents. And to me that's, that's like you said, that's just not fair.
Speaker 3:That's not okay at all. So do the teachers have to notify parents or the administration? The teachers Each teacher.
Speaker 1:Like if your name is Benjamin and they ask you in class, hey, what do you go by? And you say Ben, okay, I have to tell your mom, just letting you know.
Speaker 2:So if you want to tell, so even if you have a preferred name, like if you got your name changed from what it was at birth, they have to tell your parents. Even if your parents know they have to tell your parents they have to tell, and I don't think that's okay, because some students cannot talk to their parents about certain things. Like you said, school is the only place where they can feel safe, express themselves, be with their kind of people. Exactly, and that's literally disintegrating.
Speaker 3:So let me tell you so I've had to deal with this before and it was difficult for me as an administrator because I had a young lady who had an alternative name and so she corrected me the first time, and so about two weeks later I said to her I said let's just use the word Sarah. I said, hey, sarah. She says that's not my name, that's my dead name. My new name is this I say Shelby.
Speaker 3:Okay, so I start calling her Shelby. Then a week later she said that's my dead name again and wanted me to call her something else. So what I said was and then when I made a mistake, she said that's not my name, you need to call me this. And I said well, hold on, as an administrator, how am I to remember or to know whenever you decide to change your name? And again, I know this is not specifically what you're talking about, but I'm trying to give you guys a perspective of an adult's perspective.
Speaker 3:Real quick, but this is not something that we've ever had to deal with, right, so it was challenging for me, so let me go on to tell the story. So then, when the mom came in the building for something, she said Something unrelated.
Speaker 3:Yeah, just came in to talk to us, but she was going to be involved in the conversation. She said don't call me that. Call me, let's say Sam was an original name. And I said look, you're putting me in a difficult situation like I'm not going to be going back and forth remembering when to call you this and how to call you that, like so the last thing you asked me to call you. I'm gonna be respectful to that.
Speaker 3:But I don't think that they were happy with that, so tell me about the child wasn't happy with the fact that I called them the last name that she told me to call her.
Speaker 1:So how, from your perspective, if you're switching constantly not letting everyone know you can't possibly expect any person without respect or with respect on the subject, to remember it. I mean you need to pick a name and stick with it and that's for anybody if I like. If I'm ben and I go by benjamin, don't change it to benny the next week.
Speaker 2:Like you, you pick a name and that's what you're gonna stick with and if you are gonna like, hey, maybe I'm kind of questioning, like what I want to go by, you need to let everyone know, because then it'll it'll.
Speaker 1:If you want respect on that. You're gonna have to speak up to get it, you set your boundaries Exactly.
Speaker 2:You can't just expect for everybody to know, but for the kids who do speak up about it.
Speaker 1:And with this law, like it's, like you know, you're telling the parents because one they either already know or the parents that made this law a thing and spoke up about how they felt about it they want you to tell them to get your to. I don't know, I don't want to use the word punish or get them and or get the kid in trouble, but because they don't want their kid to go by that.
Speaker 1:So you know that, as an adult, that they're, that that's what's going on exactly but back to what you said, like if it's a kid who just keeps switching their name there's no way that you can possibly exactly, and they're just being snobby, but for some kids.
Speaker 2:There's this one kid in my class. Let's just say his name is Tommy and let's say his dead name was Timothy, and some teachers will call him Timothy and he'll like correct them my name is Timmy, whatever. Tom, yeah, tommy, whatever. But he frequently has to do that and I understand it's hard for some people to be like, okay, wait, I can't call him that.
Speaker 1:If you can't remember that's one thing, exactly.
Speaker 2:But if you're just have to adjust.
Speaker 2:You know you have you have to adjust because at that point then it is disrespectful. Also, pronunciation, pronouncing people's names wrong. I don't think that's right either. I tend to get that a lot and I try to correct them respectfully, especially if I'm new to meeting. But if you know me and you're still saying my name wrong and I'm still setting that boundary, that you're not saying my name right, I think it's kind of a microaggression but that's kind of diving a little deep. But I think pronunciation and calling people the right things are important. But you know you and that person have to talk about it and they have to talk to people about it. Set that boundary, set their. You know what they're comfortable with and repeatedly.
Speaker 1:if you feel that strongly about it, don't expect the teacher to get it right away.
Speaker 2:Exactly that's not that there's no need for disrespect. Exactly If you want your name to be said right.
Speaker 1:Or even me, like I don't go by anything else, I go by my name, and my teacher still almost the whole week of school, was calling me different, a different name every day a liar, like some something every time and it was just like I'm not just gonna let her not call me my name, so like y'all correct her about it. And it's like you can't do anything about a teacher mispronouncing or a teacher forgetting. You can do something about a teacher who you can be repetitive.
Speaker 1:No, that's not what I'm gonna say, but you can do something about a teacher who is just not respecting you enough to call you what you want, exactly because that's not okay.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you, I understand, I mean we know as kids too, though, because yeah, we understand we gotta adjust to their names exactly because, like, especially like when you're new, like you're a new student and like you have a, let's say, an intricate name or a unique name, I could understand completely that it's hard to remember, but you have to be patient and you have to communicate. Set the boundaries Like you have. You just have to communicate. That's really all it takes.
Speaker 2:You just can't let someone step over you, like I'm not going to let someone call me a real the whole year. I used to be like that, but my friends were like you have to speak up for yourself. You. My friends were like you have to speak up for yourself. You have to tell them my name's Avril, not A-real, like you have to let people know. I remember I did that when I was younger. Yeah, and now you don't do it no more because I she was like my name is.
Speaker 3:What did you say? My name is Avril and I was like okay.
Speaker 2:Then the next day I was like Avril she was like I had to put, like you know how, on Google if you search for Pronunciation, I had to put the pronunciations, Even my last name. My last name is very simple. I had to put pronunciations on it to let teachers know what could you pronounce? Your last name Newsom Newman. People would call me names that weren't even my last name. But you just have to let people know. It's hard to not get, because me personally, I have felt a lot of frustration about my name, even been like ashamed of it, because I was like people can't say my name Like this is so stupid.
Speaker 1:But you just have to make sure, number one, you're around the right people, right adults and just communicate how you're feeling and communicate what's right, I feel, so that the frustration comes more from it happening your whole life and like your, name being mispronounced your whole life. And your name being mispronounced your whole life and not from like just being disrespected, that a teacher forgot Exactly.
Speaker 3:All right. So the other thing I know you guys wanted to talk about. I know we talked a little bit about the cell phone, but you guys had mentioned the Jessica. Oh yeah, so let's talk, let's talk about it, let's talk Okay.
Speaker 2:So, as you guys might know, crop tops are definitely in. And one thing I do want to say I understand there is some things that you cannot wear to school. It's inappropriate to wear to school the workplace. You know, a lot of places have a dress code and that's perfectly fine. Now there was a lot of, and this dress code is targeted towards the girls in the school.
Speaker 1:It's not targeted toward the boys at all, unless they wear crop tops, which that's fine, who cares?
Speaker 2:But it's, let's say, not girls, it's targeted at feminine people. Yeah, exactly, thank you. Yeah, it's targeted at feminine people. And so, people, they made a new dress code no midriff, so no crop tops, nothing that shows your midriff, and no spaghetti straps. Spaghetti straps has kind of been a rule.
Speaker 2:Now, me personally, I do not see how shoulders or your stomach could be a distraction. But there was definitely some people who were abusing the dress code, wearing bras to school. Now, I personally think that that is not appropriate. I wouldn't say disruptive, but not appropriate for the school place. But, like I said about the cell phone, policy is like you don't have to punish everyone because there is some people who aren't abusing the dress code. Like some people do wear crop tops but they're not wearing bras to school and they're not, you know, abusing it. They're not, you know, taking it too far, pushing it over to the edge. You don't have to punish everyone, you just have to punish select people, or maybe not even punish them, just sit them down and say, hey, this is what you can and can't wear to school and that's the end of it. You don't have to because, I mean, some people might not have those clothes or money to get those clothes. They might have gotten their clothes from a thrift store and they only have props or their older sister.
Speaker 2:Exactly Like some people don't have the resources and some people might not want to dress the way that the dress code wants them to dress. And, like Aaliyah said, school is where you should be able to be yourself and express yourself. And, yes, that's to a certain extent because you don't want to get inappropriate, but, like I, should be able to wear a crop top if it's appropriate and I want to. It shouldn't be a distraction to the school place. What I'm wearing shouldn't be a distraction to how I get an education.
Speaker 3:So let me take a couple things you said I want to kind of push back on. You said school should be a place for you to be yourself. And what was the other part?
Speaker 2:of that, express yourself.
Speaker 3:So is that what school's for?
Speaker 2:Well, that's not what school's for. But you shouldn't be not allowed to express Like if I want to dye my hair pink, I should be able to do that, and no one. You can't dye your hair pink, you can't do that here. Anywhere you go, you should be able to be yourself, express yourself without limitations, especially if it's not inappropriate or hurting anyone. You know, I don't think a girl wearing a crop top to school is hurting anyone or distracting anyone, and if it's too inappropriate, then she could get sat down and talked to separately I don't think everyone else gets punished.
Speaker 3:So can I just say you know, I'm a father right.
Speaker 2:I understand that too.
Speaker 3:And I have a 16-year-old who's the same age as you all. So when you say Well, that's your daughter.
Speaker 2:You know you're the parent, but I'm talking about schools.
Speaker 3:Well, you guys aren't going to agree with me anyway, right, but for the sake of it, I've had like. There are days when she leaves the house and I'm like here, go put some doggone clothes on.
Speaker 1:Right, I get that.
Speaker 1:You're her dad, though these people at school, if you're not. For me, like I said, I can see two sides of a lot of things. I can see both sides and I can see how both sides could be right Exactly, but me being me, the side that I pick is right. Like if you're a teacher or you're another student or you're anything in that building, be professional enough to not let whatever I'm wearing get to you. I don't care. I'm not saying like this is okay, like I don't care about walking in some panties, like you don't, that's a problem.
Speaker 1:I know, definitely. It's an example. Don't you like? Literally don't look. You don't look at a kid like that, or you shouldn't be working in the school building. It shouldn't be the kids.
Speaker 3:It shouldn't be coming in to look like that, but like those kind of things. That's not fair because it's inappropriate, right? So that doesn't mean somebody's looking at you. That means that they're trying to so like I'm a father right.
Speaker 1:If they're uncomfortable, that's okay. It's not about being uncomfortable.
Speaker 3:making sure that you are safe, making sure that you're going to, but we should be safe in the school building anyway.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:That's the whole point. We should be safe where we are.
Speaker 2:We should be safe enough to express ourselves and be able to look how we want to look and knowing that we're going to be safe there and that we can do it. But also, I understand what you're saying about the father thing. But if I walk out the door and my dad doesn't say anything, you and my dad doesn't say anything. You know, come back and change then neither should the school board.
Speaker 2:If my parents, the person who watches me, make sure that I'm safe 24-7, 365, then it should be okay, and if it's not, you just got to talk to me. You don't have to punish everybody. Also, your stomach and your shoulders, should I feel like it's such a big issue and it should not be. I could understand your private areas, but your shoulders and your stomach. I understand maybe if you had an extraordinarily short shirt, but like, why is it such a problem for my shoulders to be exposed?
Speaker 3:But you guys said that a lot of people were misusing or abusing. So how? As a school, individually, individually, individually, individually. But you know, you got a population but you're sent home.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you don't care about school, you don't care about your education that sucks.
Speaker 2:Population about 1500 kids that's what you got to do, hey miss if you want a dress code.
Speaker 1:That's what you got to go through because you're not that's not fair to just like me personally, I last year I used I wear baggy clothes all year, like I've always been like a baggy clothes wearing person. But this year like I've been really big on self-love and I've been trying to love myself more and just become more confident and like open up more with my, with my variety of clothes.
Speaker 1:And it's hard to do that when the year I try to do that y'all want to change the dress code and it's like no crop tops, no this, no that, but boys literally take their shirt off in gym, exactly, and it's just Boys get to get away with whatever they want, anything.
Speaker 3:So do you guys bring that up they?
Speaker 1:punish. I mean, I brought it up to you when I went to dentist, didn't I? Yeah, but but you're the only person that listened. She's never even in our office.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they don't care, let's make sure we don't specify names right, yeah, and so just say you know whatever. But anyway, the point of it is that sometimes people in our office they're always walking around school doing stuff, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's fine, but they should be walking around and if they have rules implemented, then they should. And like, let's say, they see someone who's not following the dress code, they can pull that person to the side. You know, all you have to do is call the teacher, call the office hey, send Miss Sally down and talk to them or send them home. You don't have to punish the entire school with, like you said, so many kids there.
Speaker 3:So you guys see boys wearing slagging pants.
Speaker 2:That's a problem I have heard some teachers, you know, pull up your pants and stuff, but they don't care.
Speaker 3:But like some teachers, like you know, pull up your pants and stuff, but they don't care. But, like alia said, taking off their shirts and wearing undershirts and stuff like that, I just feel like it's very one-sided, some of that stuff, stuff from like, for instance, my son.
Speaker 2:I have a 18 year old and I don't allow him to walk around my house with a shirt off but yeah, but that's you as a parent, I know I'm saying so is that?
Speaker 3:so I'm just want to push? Is that some stuff that you feel like people should be getting at home, or is that just?
Speaker 2:Well, that's something that I can't really touch on, because I can't tell parents how to parent their children, but at school you know like. I just think it should be fair. It should never be one-sided Double standard.
Speaker 1:Yeah, double standard.
Speaker 2:If girls can't wear tank tops, neither can boys. If girls can't stick off their shirt, neither can boys.
Speaker 3:Have you guys had a conversation with the folks? Are you planning on doing this?
Speaker 2:Well, the school year just started. But I mean, I just kind of feel like some of the administrators there. They're like rules are rules or they'll just say we didn't make these rules. The school board did Talk to the person who did, because I can't, but you can never.
Speaker 1:No I can't.
Speaker 3:Yes, you can.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to call you and have you come bring me.
Speaker 3:So no, what happens is, you know, there's a school board and then there's public opportunities for public comments at the school board meeting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but you can comment. But if the school board made the decision, they already know what the odds are, what the choices are. Are we going to let them show their measure? They already know they're the one who made the rule.
Speaker 3:I have just to be fair with the school board. I have seen some school board meetings within the last year where people have come in and expressed a concern and they've revisited or re-looked at it. But the only way and some of it is they may not know. So let's give folks the benefit of the doubt. But you guys have to, if you feel so strongly about something, have the conversation.
Speaker 2:I also feel like, if it's just, let's say, me and Aaliyah were to go to the school board and we wanted to talk to the school board, I also think I'm not saying that our voices aren't strong enough, but I think every single girl from the school would have to complain about it to make it happen, because I think they would think that it was biased. If that makes sense, they think we're just doing it for ourselves and really it's.
Speaker 1:Do you get what I'm trying to say, yeah, I understand that they just would think it's our opinion when it's kind of wide.
Speaker 3:I think that kids have voices, right. So I had the opportunity of going to an institution at Earlham where it taught us how to advocate for ourselves and all of that, and so we were able to invoke a lot of change and I think that I see within you all, like the one example is your poetry, you know like that gives you the opportunity to voice your opinion. So I would just say, start off first of all. You start off with the administrators, right. You go to them, get you a number of young ladies and you ask to have a conversation. Now, I'm not very familiar with the dress code policy this year. I'm familiar with the dress code policy coming out of my house and there are. You know, if there's five days a week, there's two days, I'm saying, ah, go put a jacket on or go do something, and it's because that's just I'm old school, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's perfect for time.
Speaker 3:And let me be honest with you, I'm so old school that sometimes it infringes upon my communication and my relationship, because sometimes you know, my child is like Dad, like everybody, wears dresses. I don't care what everybody's doing Everybody ain't my child?
Speaker 1:Exactly Right, right.
Speaker 3:So you know, and I can guarantee you that if she told you all specifically what I'm making her change clothes in, you'd be like Mr Hanlon you tripping. Why are you leaving her alone? Let?
Speaker 2:her wear what she wanted. I completely understand. My dad has said to me a couple of times no, I don't feel comfortable wearing that out, Not because of me and my choices, just because of other people. And like you said, it consists of us being safe.
Speaker 1:But at school, we're supposed to be safe. That's an interesting perspective. Any other questions or comments? I love this discussion. This was a good 28.
Speaker 3:This is probably the longest one. This is probably the longest single discussion that I've had, so so let's, let me hear this poem, so you guys decide. Let's get us here to live, but I want you articulate and I want you to rock for the people out there.
Speaker 2:Okay, we are going to be reciting Our Deepest Fear by Miriam Williamson.
Speaker 1:Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
Speaker 2:It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves who am I to be? Brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You're a child of God.
Speaker 1:Your playing small does not serve this world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking, so others around you won't feel insecure.
Speaker 2:We are all meant to shine as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
Speaker 1:It's not just in some of us, it's in all of us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same as we are liberated from our own fears our presence automatically liberates others Out of the Mouth of Babes podcast for our youth.
Speaker 3:Y'all rocked it, Thank you.
Speaker 2:That was very short.