Priority 2: Fun

     Every time that the Joel's Place staff meets together to talk over our programs or vision for the future, there is one certainty.  Kelli, our Program Director, will interject that Fun needs to be a priority.  Literally, every time.  So I thought I would turn over this post on our second priority to Kelli.  Last week we talked about Safety as the foundation for everything that we do here.  Once kids know that this is a place that they can be themselves without fear, they are open to having a great time.  Here I turn it over to Kelli:


                 _______________________________________________________

Recently, a parent mentioned how she enjoyed the mellow music we played through the speaker system, and how it must be a ploy to help keep the kids calm. I replied that what she heard was probably an accident, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before some very loud, very fast music took over the space. I later explained that we actually want the kids to be excited and we use the music to keep them pumped. There are many hours in young people’s lives when they are expected to sit down, stay quiet and calm.

We are the remedy for calm, and that remedy is called FUN.

Of course, fun means very different things to different people. For some, it’s biking, skating, or scootering in the park. For some it’s playing Ping-Pong, pool or video games, and for some it’s getting balls hurled at their face and hurling them in return. Oh, I mean Dodge Ball  –  my precise definition of “not fun”.  But one particular kid here is a "Dodge Ball Ninja" He is always the last one out.  To him and his frustrated opponents, it’s just having fun. But I see a kid who experiences a lot of challenges in life, rising above his peers and experiencing success.

Even as I write this, I feel compelled to justify fun. To spin it into success stories and positive outcomes. Usually, the type of fun here does result in positive outcomes- exercise, learning how to play well, to win and lose graciously, connecting to a larger community, and a whole lot of service. But honestly, I believe in fun for fun’s sake.  It means shared memories and smiles and squeals and the knowledge that Joel’s Place is a good place for kids.