Friday, September 02, 2016

#YOUTHWORK Zorbing and I had 15 activities in my mind & pocket. STRESS CARD was one.




It's always with me.
next to my body
always handy
STRESS
All battered and well used
In my wallet.

As a Youth Worker - 
still am
always will be.
I Lurve being amongst the teens
Older the ones 
I connect with the best.

I have STRESS.
The card that is.

I remember being out with a group of special needs young teens. SPECIAL.
Hand selected by their school for special Pipology attention.

We were going Zorbing - dangerous stuff.
I had 15 activities in my mind & pocket.
STRESS CARD was one.

The idea of a the Zorbing was - yes fun.
Challenging - yes for me too!
But also for me it was to be::
relational
developmental
BECOMING.

So the first thing, when I get on the mini-bus,
(me not driving)
was to ask who wanted a stress test
and I showed them how it worked.

You hold you thumb on it & count 10
Then view the colour it has changed to.

Pip Pip Pip Pip
Pip Pip Pip Pip
Pip Pip Pip Pip
Pip Pip Pip Pip
instead of me trying start a conversation
they piled in on me.
Contacts made.
Names asked for & delivered.
All sorts of comments
"I'm not stressed - can have another go Pip"

Great little youth work activity.
I have used it on planes.
All sorts of events &
Scary activities
(always best when working with the HARD
& the hard to reach)

The other 14 'activities' on this day came as
many varied + 
BECOMING questions.
Not boring questions.
Unexpected.
Soul searching stuff.
"Ask me another question Pip Pip Pip...."
off we go again.

So making contact one of the greatest 
and once thought by me as the 
number one essential youth work skill.

Now I believe it is in second place.
Number ONE is
OBSERVATION.


Another Blog forthcoming on that one .........



You are beautiful

BHP