I feel that my job is an absolute honour and privilege. I love my job and I enjoy working with every young person that enters our service. Sometimes it can be intense and frustrating, whilst other times it’s filled with joy and laughter.
I often feel saddened by how some young people have such an intense feeling of hopelessness. This hopelessness is ingrained in their being as they have systematically been failed by every corner of society. Failed by parents, families, schools, the justice system and the media. Society has labelled them as “no-hopers”, “losers”, and a tax burden. I want to tear these lables off, I want to scream to the world that this is our future, I want every person to know that it is NOT their fault. Sure they’ve made some bad choices, but nobody has every taught them to make good choices, nobody has told them that they are worth it. I fully understand that not every person that leaves my workplace will be a well-adjusted pillar of society. BUT I hope that I am able to help young people make better choices and take responsibility for their future, at the very least I hope that I instill a belief that they have a right to be heard and that they deserve the best for themselves. It is so important to help the young people realise and understand that what they have done in the past, or suffered in the past, does not have to predict their future, and that they have the power to change their future by making informed choices.
Everyday I take home a better understanding of not only young people, but also myself. Each day I challenge my beliefs and justify my actions. Everyday I walk out of my job knowing that I have tried my best to make a difference, a difference not only to the young people at the service, but a difference in the world. I think that the more people that choose to stand up and be counted, the more society, as a whole will improve. If I try and I fail at least I will be happy knowing that I gave a damn.
