Photoessay #2055 - My Story

One Parent Group program features a parent to 'tell their story'.  Parents come to our group when they are experiencing significant acting out with their teenager or young adult family member.  Really we work against conventional parenting techniques.  Often drug use fuels the chaotic destructive and self-destructing behavior throwing the family in crisis.  The parents often feel like their hair is on fire.

We encourage parents to change their own behavior, concentrating on what they can directly change.  Which is only themselves.  Often the suggestions coming from the group seem like the exact opposite of what you should do.  For example, we do not emphasize school or communication or therapy.  Not that these are bad things but often don't help and cause the parents endless frustration.

By the way, I've decided to become an 'honored rep' which is the status for somebody who's come for a long long time, does not have a direct leadership position but still helps.  I hadn't even thought of that until I was meeting with my two fellow reps for the Seattle group, Tess and Bebette, and came up with the honored rep idea on the spot.  It's true that if one person acts in a leader's role for too long, it stifles leadership development within the group.  Bebette says 'we need a guy'.  Many dads and grandfathers participate in our group, a big strength.  So she asked Peter, he said yes.  Good!  It's all good!

I find I have a lot more to write about this; maybe I'll continue another time.  Yesterday, a six month coordinator (coordinates the programs) from another group called and asked me to do a program on short notice.  My story?

So I dig out a tagboard chart that I prepared for the very first time I gave my story.  A time line.  Every time I do my story I use the same chart and I write an update.  I first gave the program in 2002.  I used to say that I wished it was ten years from now so I would know what I've learned.

So now it is.

So I'll drag along this bedraggled chart, it's looking pretty bad.  But maybe it's a trophy of sorts.  I've made it all the way through this, transcended it really.