Brave New Voices

Most of what's on TV is trash and does nothing to help humanity advance as a specie. For example, the military channel glorifies our big guns and big machines as if they were not made to kill HUMAN BEINGS, most cartoons have numerous shows with "funny" and acceptable violence. Reality TV has brought out the dumbest of the dumb and presented it as some form of art. Last, the "news" on TV feels like a tabloid being read out loud. 

Therefore..... I am surprisingly amazed (and beyond) by this new HBO show called Russell Simmons presents Brave New Voices. It is about The 12th annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival in DC and it follows some of the top young (13-19) poets/spoken word artists and their weeks before the competition.  

The question that kept running through my mind was where were these mentors when I was a kid!  I would have loved someone to come along and teach me how to package my  powerful, crazy emotions so that I and others could better understand me. 

Now this show brings up a problem I am perpetually attempting to solve; How to inspire and help teens come out of puberty more powerful and ready to take on their lives responsibly. Puberty has got to be one of the most difficult times in anyone's life. I often state to people that if magically offered to relive my youth I would avoid my teen years; that is how horribly difficult those years were. I have not yet solved it but I feel the answer lies in allowing teens to have varied mentoring opportunities with various adults who have, in the words of Joseph Campbell, followed their,  "bliss".  

For all these reasons I give Brave New Voices a few made up awards....

1. Most Inspirational to Youth Award

2. Inspirational Award of the Year

3. Opportunity to Learn from other Cultures and Peoples Award 

Seriously, watch it......you won't forget it...and it might just inspire you to be brave enough to speak your truth.