I often hear my peers lamenting on how we must give up on the adults and focus on the children.
Can’t say that I blame them. With the way adults have been acting lately (private citizens and leaders), it often looks like someone should power up the Ark.
But the problem with that premise is that we’d be giving up the very place where children look for role models, examples, and guidance.
It’s obvious, they measure themselves against us.
So my choice is to focus 65% of my energy on kids, and 35% on adults … including myself.
See, if I channel “quit,” how do I teach children not to? How do I teach them to rise when they fall; to go around when you can’t go through; to be better than those that set bad examples?
And most of all – how to value others as you learn to value yourself?
If we don’t believe it, how can we teach it to them.
About Alex Simmons Says
Alex Simmons is an award-winning freelance writer, comic book creator, playwright, teaching artist, and educational consultant. He’s written for Disney Books, Penguin Press, Simon and Schuster, Marvel, DC, and Archie Comics. Simmons is the creator of the acclaimed adventure comic book series, Blackjack. As a teaching artist, Simmons has created and taught creative arts workshops for students and educators in the US, Europe, West Indies, and Africa.
Simmons has served on panels and delivered lectures on children’s entertainment mediums, as well as empowering young people through the arts. Simmons founded the annual family event, Kids Comic Con, as well as three comic arts exhibits, which have traveled abroad. He is currently developing a comics and creative arts program for children all over the world.
During the past 35 years, Simmons has participated as a member of arts and education boards for several New York State nonprofit organizations, as well as one in Nigeria.
As a teaching artist Simmons has worked with youth through the Bronx Community College, the Christopher Barron Live Life Foundation, Apollo Theater In-School Arts Program, Henkel McCoy, Upward Bound, New York Council on the Arts, Children’s Art Carnival, Wings Academy, and NYU Creative Arts Team, to name a few.
He has been a panelist at many literacy and arts events, and he has been a guest speaker at numerous colleges and educational institutions here and abroad.
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