Sean Porter: Everybody listen up. The Gridiron is a football field. On the Gridiron, we do it my way, not your way. Your way got you here. Whatever gang you claim, whatever hood you’re from, this is your hood now.
Sean Porter: Most sixteen/seventeen year old kids, they make a bad choice. Something gets broken, they screw up in class, hurt somebody’s feelings, show up at the prom drunk. They get sent to the Principal’s office, have their car keys taken away or get grounded. Then there’s kids that make a bad choice, somebody ends up shot dead in the parking lot. Those kids get sent here.
Lines from the movie “Gridiron Gang”.
The “Gridiron Gang” is about making a difference, one person at a time, in small but significant ways, in the lives of troubled youths that societies the world over would just as soon ignore. Much like the situations we have in our communities nowadays. Whenever there’s violence, the youth gets blamed for it. Whenever there’s resistance, the youths gets tagged into it. What are we doing about it?
Had a talk with a fellow youth worker and an apprentice last night. He was asking how they’re doing, their activities until our talk touched to our effectiveness as youth workers. When people look at them, specifically the boys or rather guys, they’ll conclude that nothing really has changed. They get frustrated and was on the verge of giving up because their desired results were not met. It isn’t like that as we all know. Life can’t be changed instantly like snapping a finger. It is not done overnight. It is a process. I had been closely with them for over 2 year now and I could say that they’ve really changed. Not with every member of the group though. For some, the changes were obvious to us. At times, their parents, brothers and sisters were the once telling me about it. While there were instances also that I hear complains about them from their parents. Some changes were in their choice of company, in their decision-making, in perseverance to continue on with their studies and in their choice of activities. I wonder what their lives were when they weren’t together, when they’re at school, when they’re with friends other than the group we have. We’re they good examples and influence to them? I certainly hope so. They live in a society were drinking, smoking, youth and adult violence, teen pregnancy and youth drop-outs were rampant. Older brothers who hadn’t finished college because they see school as a waste of their time and laziness with studies. These are what they usually see in their society. Deviating from their society’s norm could gather up praise and ridicule at the same time. Yet they still persevered and strive to do good and make a better future.
Two years, the changes may not be that big but at least we had planted a seed and continue to nurture it until maybe it is ready to be left alone. It is still worth it. Our effort is not in vain. The journey is not over yet.
Guess what. Their new tambayan is in an unusual place yet nice. It was in a small parcel of land, rather a platform in the middle of the river when the water is low, enough for them to gather in a circle. Sweet. The sound of the shallow, rushing river in itself is soothing. Not to mention the music that they make. Really a nice place to relax. I wasn’t able to be with them in the river though because I was wearing a skirt and it would be impossible to scale the dike with a skirt on, even if I do it in barefoot. Maybe next time. (pardon the picture, it was taken through my camera phone)
drums, Ryjy on the guitar and doing the vocals and since Breaker was not around so I did the bass guitar while singing. During our break, we had a role reversal. Usually, it’ll only be Macky and Ryjy swapping roles, but this time, I was part of that swap. I had the guitar, Macky had the bass and Ryjy on the drums for this particular song only. I only did strums, one strum at a time though. Hehe.. I enjoyed it immensely. Then we had our run off.