Fenix Youth Project empowers youth to use their voices and provides a safe space for them to ask questions. As adults, we tell youth to ask first before taking action but we never consider if we truly are ready for the question they have. Have you ever been asked, “Why do you care?” Have you ever been able to give an answer without stumbling over emotion? Did you spew the easiest and quickest response or did you digest the question and sit with your own inner child?
Young people are facing crises left and right. Youth often struggle in silence for long periods before figuring out how to tell someone about their experiences. Their experience matters. Their experience is why they choose to decline a shelter bed and rather sleep in a vehicle. Their experience is why they may respond to gestures intended to be nice, with anger. Their experience is why they ask, us adults, “Why are you tripping?” or my personal favorite, “Why do you even care?”
Do you know the answer? Why are you tripping? Why do you care? Those answers will reveal more than what you, the person answering, are bargaining for. Once you answer, your actions moving forward matter. I welcome those questions because call me a Leo, I love seeing my reflection. I want young people to hold a mirror to my face and see me being proud of what I see. I love being an example for them.
Adults get upset with young people because they tend to expose the adult’s inner child. Young people hold up a mirror and Adults don’t like what they see and now they have to make a choice to address their issues. I’m here to tell you, a lot of adults make the choice to not address their issues. They blame the young person and as all young people do, they follow in our steps whether they see it or not. Anyone under the age of 25 is impressionable because they are still mentally developing.
I ask you this question this holiday season and want you to truly sit with your inner child and be real. Why do you care? Listen to those answers. Check yourself - before you wreck someone else’s life.
Happy Holidays,
Amber Green
Founder/Executive Director