The cover story of the Questa Del Rio News’ September issue was heartbreaking: the life of a beautiful 15-year-old, full of so much promise, tragically cut short. The trauma will long remain. It is said that time heals all; we hope that fond memories will eventually outweigh the sadness…
Unfortunately, we are not alone. The tragedy of young people leaving this earth too soon is widespread; countless families and communities are also suffering. Like everything else in these troubled times, it seems to be getting worse. How hard it must be to be growing up right now.
Last year I attended my 50th high school class reunion (oh my!). The list of names in memoriam was sobering. We remembered classmates dying young in accidents, by suicide or drug overdoses, as well as those who died recently… Loss reminds us that everything is impermanent, everything that is born will die. Although we know this intellectually, it isn’t real until it hits us, hard.
Many years ago, starting school at the Art Institute of Chicago was shocking; I was a long way from New Mexico! I didn’t know anyone and felt very isolated. I was no stranger to student angst. As a child, I loved school, but high school felt like a waste of time. I wanted to go to college, so I endured it… For anyone who hates school, it gets better! Maybe high school was the best time of your life. For me, high school was a drag, college was fun, and graduate school was a blast!
During my first semester in art school there were several suicides. The kindly dean of the school was devastated. He asked for anyone who might have ideas for creating a healthier school culture to please come see him. And I did.
At 18, I started meditating. I had an advantage over my classmates; whenever the world was moving too fast and I felt overwhelmed, I could stop, go within, and find stillness, calm, and faith. The dean and I talked about our need to connect with nature and spirit, and he invited me to teach meditation at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I thought he was crazy; he must have been desperate to help his troubled students.
In time, more changes were implemented, and the school brightened up. I like to think that a few young people finding that still calm voice within made a difference, in their own lives and that of the school. And the world.
Scientifically, the advantages of meditation have been well documented and do not conflict with religion or belief; contemplation is part of all wisdom traditions. Meditation is now accepted and understood as a natural ability we all have to calm our nervous systems and find clarity of mind. Media, peer pressure, and way too much stimulation competes fiercely with self-awareness. Our culture values appearances and materialism way too much.
What a difference for our young people and our world if schools and churches taught that world peace begins within.
