133-Another Day, Another Group, Another Wall...

It was an unseasonably warm and sunny March day for Flint, MI and several sixth graders had just put themselves to the test in another low ropes creation by Project Forty.  A quick glance at my phone revealing the time as it crept out of my pocket made up my mind—“Nice work everybody, but we’re not done yet.  You up for one more challenge?”  A resounding “yeah!” came right back without hesitation.  I led the group of nine or so around the patches of sopping grass and up to a featureless wood wall nearly eight feet in height, boasting a small platform on the backside, almost as if it were a lookout on a fort in the Revolutionary War.  The students gathered at its base unaware that they would be climbing this wall, listening to the objective while intermittently chattering quietly and razzing their friends.

“You have twenty minutes to get every member of your team over this wall.  There can only be two people on the platform at a time and once you are over and back on the ground you cannot help, but only spot to keep us safe.  Your time starts… now!”  Almost immediately the tallest young man in the bunch jumps to grab the top of the one-by material fastened to a two-by-four wooden frame.  As quickly as he realized that this feature was nothing like gripping a pull-up bar, the wall repelled him off like one would flick a ladybug from their bare arm.  It took only two tries before inquiries of other options sprouted from the group.  The next attempt entailed cradled arms with locked fingers to create a stirrup for a foot to gain some upward lift.  This method worked wonderfully and the first few students managed to get their chest over the top, throwing one leg over that helped swing their bodies over to the platform-side of the obstacle.

All was going well as two students at the top helped grab limbs and clothes to pull some weight while those remaining on the ground, which was quickly transforming into mud—lifted, shoved, pushed and sacrificed their shoulders as step ladders.  Only three more students left, making the scene and the mission all the more serious.  There must be a victory in line, especially since they’ve worked so hard and endured physical turmoil—even an accidental light kick in the head, which is typical and remembered by the entire team for years to come.  Every single student gave that wall their best shot, not all succeeded but I can honestly say that they all give it their all.

We hear a lot about our younger generations and I’m guilty of sustaining some of the stereotypes that are flung out there—those Millennials, Zer’s, Alpha’s or whatever they call them now—they’re lazy, addicted to their phones; we are getting dumber as a culture… That might be a bit exaggerated, but the truth that we hear more negative than positive, stands.  I won’t pretend to be an expert, I don’t have a doctorate on teen culture, nor will I say that I can be completely relevant to our current teen culture; but what I will do is ask questions.  I will ask them what they want.  I will ask them what their music means.  I will ask them about their dreams.  I will ask them what they want to do in the future.  I will ask them to push themselves.  I will ask them to take risks.  I will ask them to venture out into something unfamiliar.  I will ask them to climb a wall… And they will rise to the challenge and get over that wall despite what stereotypes are stacked against them. 

-Matt