Interactions with Planet X

Interactions with Planet X
(So you want to help, but have no clue) 

My fellow Teens, 

You all probably know some people with disabilities. After all, it's fairly commonplace now. Words like Autism, Downs Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy abound in the news. You probably even feel sorry for them. But honestly, even a truckload of pity is not much use. 

You probably are also "initially freaked out" at meeting people with disabilities. (This is a direct quote from a high school volunteer I know.) Maybe you want to help, but have no idea how and what. 

Consider:- Once upon a time, we were all babies. Our life track was defined - preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, job etc. 

A UCSD  sophomore was speaking of his college experiences to our class last week. Many of his friends from Cupertino schools are with him in college, so his social circle remained somewhat homogeneous.  That had greatly aided his transition from the small school setting to life on an enormous college campus. I imagine it will be the same for most of you. Most of you probably have friends you've known all your life and who will be with you in college. 

Some of those babies however, ended up on a path that wandered off into the wilderness of disability. Years of therapy helped some get back onto a more typical path, especially if the right therapy was done at the right time with the right set of people who knew what to do. But there is no set formula and not everyone made a full or even partial turnaround. But biologically, the bodies kept growing and voila, they became Teens with Disabilities!

I speak not just for myself, but for all the others I've observed over the years. 

The therapy years are behind most teens, parents are exhausted and most therapists are giving up. Not an attractive picture! 

Many are headed into Homes and "residential facilities" after high school. Some are already in Homes. I had 3 classmates in 5th grade who came from a Home. The only time they got to go out, was if the school did outings, as the Home did not do that. All that my classmate Johnny ate at every meal, was cheese pizza - how healthy is that? Others, I know - post 18 and Indian - live at home with their parents. 

A few may make it to community college or even a university. A fortunate few may even end up doing a job they like and lead independent lives. But there are always additional hurdles at every step. 

Expectations are not high at this point.  Job training programs, at most, target low level jobs. How exciting will it be to toss burgers, especially if intellectually you are capable of so much more? Frustration rides high, and this translates into more behavioral issues. As it is, being a Teen is an emotional roller-coaster for most of you. Just add on a whole suitcase of emotional and physical struggles! 

Your world will open out as you go into college and beyond, while those of individuals with disabilities, may well narrow down. More doors shut with age. Ironically after age 22, govt. assistance and programs reduce significantly - just when we need it most. 

We're surrounded by adults a lot; but most are paid therapists who last just 1-2 years. There is a high turnover of people, which is very emotionally distressing. Working and assisting teens or adults is not considered a desirable profession, so one cannot expect any intelligent company either, going forward. 

Quality of Life however, goes beyond just basic care. It becomes a  'Lonely Planet X.’

So what was the point of telling you these depressing scenarios?

It is said that friends influence your character?  This is the area that individuals with disabilities really fall short on. It's going to be a bigger problem going forward, as more of this growing population of children with disabilities become adults. 

It is less your money that is needed, and more your humanity. 

And it is not just about playing board games once a month at a center. That gets real boring by the 3rd month. And irritating by the 6th month, because by then the same games start to feel like therapy. And teens (disabled or not) don't want to be subjected to preschool activities like circle-time! Oh the sheer indignity of having preschool circle-time in some of the Special Ed classrooms, years after our typical peers had stopped doing them. Are you surprised that many adults with disabilities still listen to Barney and Sesame Street?

It is about getting involved in their lives. Being involved does not mean being physically there all the time either. In today's Internet World, there are many avenues of communication - Facebook, email, text, a phone call etc...

Tell them about your own lives so that through you, they can learn and experience more. You will be surprised at the insights you get into your lives when viewed through their eyes.  Most are surprisingly sensitive and intelligent despite their outward body mannerisms.  A person may have cerebral palsy and be dependent on a wheelchair. They may not even be able to respond. But their minds will eagerly lap up information and conversation.  Don't expect responses, especially if the person has limited verbal skills - just be there.  They will never cease to amaze you or surprise you.

Get to know a few individuals and continue to be in their lives. The key is to be a constant presence over many years.  Don't be a therapist who moves onto another client in 1-2 years. 

Check in during your school vacations, and during your college vacations. Visit if you can. 

Include them in some of your physical activities. Are you or your friends in a musical performance, band, team or play? Invite them to these - you will find no better cheerleaders. Do you belong to a group of some sort – you could find ways to include them at least some of the time. What do you do with your typical friends - do you just "hang out and chill.”? You'd be amazed at how many teens with disabilities long to do this but don't have the opportunity. 

Don't assume they don't know academics just because they haven't been formally taught it. Academic subjects are just a matter of perspective sometimes. In light of other challenges, it just seems a lot more straightforward. Tell them about what you do - why you find certain subjects difficult or which teacher is really lousy or good. 

It’s pretty hard to abuse drugs, smoke or drink if you are disabled. So you will in fact, be keeping very good company. 

Be an advocate for them and watch out for them in their lives. Friends of this disabled adult I know on Facebook, keep tabs on her online activity to watch for online predators and the like. Most individuals will outlast their parents, so friends are important in their lives. As you become an adult, there will be many such opportunities for advocacy. Dealing with bureaucracy is tough for most; imagine the disabled adult who has to face it 24x7. 

Do you want to be inspired in your life to achieve and do great things? Look no further that the challenges they face. 

Consider - Pity is condescending, while Empathy and Friendship is Humanity. 

In the end, it's a win-win scenario for both. You will fulfill a real need and make a difference - you have done great Service. Your own character blossoms as well. Man is defined by his character, not by his wealth or his social status. You will be amazed at how these interactions will shape your life. 

Bring the Forgotten People on Lonely Planet X, back to the Humane Planet Earth. 

You may or may not choose to do something about this issue, or not be able to do so now. But perhaps you will later in your life. All this is Food for Thought.

Pros and Cons of Optimism

For this unit in Literature, we had to pick between "Sense and Sensibility" (by Jane Austen) and Night (by Elie Wiesel.) Turns out most of the class picked Sense and Sensibility. Only three of us picked Night. I wonder why?? Isn't it always better to pick a true story over a fictional piece? Don't we learn real life lessons from the experiences of others?

Our class discussions run for a whole week and our responses are  "graded" too! And it was just three people this time. One of the other boys posted his responses first in German. Google Translator to the rescue. Then I pointed out that Elie Wiesel had first written his book in Yiddish. His posts changed to Hebrew after that.  Again Google Translator to the rescue. But really, it was fun in a way.

On some fronts, optimism is dangerous such as those experienced by the Jews living in Signet during World War II. Elie Wiesel (holocaust survivor) portrays the Jews of Sighet, somewhat like ostriches with their heads buried in the sand, who think they are somehow safe - all the way to Auschwitz. Yet, in a way, optimism is what kept Eliezer alive. The human will to survive ceases, if optimism dies. 

Optimism is all the more essential in today’s world. Look at the case of the Chilean Miners, who were trapped so long underground. Should they have given up all hopes of rescue? Should the rescuers have given up hopes of finding them alive either? The power of positive thinking often gives an impetus toward finding solutions. It also lends itself to other positive qualities like creativity, patience and forbearance in man. This allows him more mental clarity in which to carry out his tasks.   

This discussion of Optimism inspired a poem titled "Optimism Sans Realism" 

Inner Journeys - Balancing the Dreamer and Realist

Star Food is a short story by Ethan Caine. The protagonist Dade is torn between the differing expectations of his mother and father. As a result, Dade is often unsure how to act. What appealed to me about this story is that its a journey of discovery - as he struggles to balance the dreamer vs the realist. 

A Journey of Discovery

The entire story is one of “self-discovery.” Dade is at a stage in his life where he does not know where he is headed. His mother is an idealist, a dreamer  (illustrated by constant references to the Sky in the story). His father is more practical, hard-working and earth-bound.  (The story highlights this difference with "sky + dreamers = slums" while "hardwork + practical =good home"). Though Dade uses his mother’s ideals as a pretext to get out of work, he is still not sure where his place is in  scheme of life. 

The instances with the shoplifter, jolts this confusion and gives him some perspective into his journey. The way Dade handled her was necessary as part of his inner journey. In the first few instances he lets her go as he is more inclined to be the dreamer philosopher. As he becomes more earth-aware, he realizes she is no more than a common thief and catches her. But then he lets her go, after catching her, telling us that he is reaching a better balance in his mind in his journey of dreamer vs. realist. 

The instances with the shoplifter, jolts this confusion and gives him some perspective into his journey. His actions were necessary as part of his inner journey. In the first few instances he lets her go as he is more inclined to be the dreamer philosopher. As he becomes more earth-aware, he realizes she is no more than a common thief and catches her. But then he lets her go, after catching her, telling us that he is reaching a better balance in his mind in his journey of dreamer vs. realist.

Cyber Bullying

Cyber Bullying

Bullying has always reared its ugly head in our society through the ages. But people no longer have to be physically big or powerful, in order to bully and threaten others. They have a new powerful tool at their disposal -  Technology. With technology, bullies can often remain anonymous and that is very empowering for them. Any kind of harassment or bullying using electronic devices is generally referred to as Cyber bullying. 

Cyber Bullying and can in fact be even more damaging to the victim. The cyber bully’s reach is not confined to just the schoolyard anymore. Its reach, haunts them in all aspects of their life, invades their privacy, affects their reputation and may even cause financial losses. It can be as simple as hateful websites about a person, bombarding them with malicious emails or text messages or spamming others while pretending to be the victim. It could even be publicizing , personal information about the victim, which could in effect make them targets for offline bullying.      

I have thankfully never been the victim of cyber bullying.  However instances of cyberbullying abound all around.

Last month, a Rutgers Student University left a webcam on it his room, and livecast his roommate, Tyler Clementi, having sex with another man.  In addition to doing live streaming, his roommate also tweeted about this on Twitter. A devastated Tyler posted a goodbye message on Facebook, and committed suicide.  Maybe he did not want others to know he was gay. Whatever his reasons, they were still his own, and webcasting his personal life was inhumane. 

Amanda Marcuson, of Birmingham, Michigan had reported some other girls in her class for stealing. In response she was spammed with malicious text-messages – as many as 50 in just 2-3 hours. (Incidentally both examples were reported by the press so I have used their original names). 

Some instances of cyber bullying are extreme and can even led to a tragic death like the Rutgers Student. But even milder forms of cyber bullying can lead to lower self-esteem, a drop in grades, depression and being ostracized by peers. 

We always have to be careful when we are online. It is never a good idea to give out our personal information when online – our age, address or even school. We should also be careful about privacy settings on our web browsers and other sites we use. On public forums, it is important to remember that written word really can’t be taken back. We never know who is going to read it. You should always keep in mind that there are people who misrepresent themselves or have less than noble intentions. While teens may like privacy from parents, they are still a trusted source. Our privacy from strangers is even more important and parents need to be in the loop as much as possible.  

As great as Technology is, a small segment of the population always seems to finds ways to misuse it and use it for destructive purposes. We have to be on our guard for that.

Vocabulary or Literature or Composition?

This was a prompt for  my Literature class discussion.  

Prompt: Which is more important - Vocabulary, Literature or Composition?

Vocabulary is but a building block of language. But if you think of language as a means of communication amongst mankind, then the prosody of vocabulary merges seamlessly into the whole.  Vocabulary by itself,  is a mere component. 

Literature exposes us to works of the great writers –current and past. We learn their thoughts, their stories, and the strength of their imagination. Literature has greatly shaped our thinking process over the centuries. It is a reflection of culture, of society and delves into the possibilities.

Writers however, can start revolutions. Composition skills, allows us to be part of the force - one that can shape the world that is to come. We can influence, we can cajole, we can persuade, we can dissuade. In Literature we hear from others, but it is in composition, that others learn about you. Our unique experiences and thought processes can be brought out through composition.

We have truly to be vested in making our world a better place. Surely then, composition has to be the most important of the three.

Opinions - Follow or Ignore

Opinions - Follow or Ignore

The path of non-violence, as a means to freedom, was an unprecedented tenet, when first propounded by Mahatma Gandhi.  The ubiquitous opinion of Gandhi’s time was quite the contrary -  a  path of violent resistance as demonstrated repeatedly by world history.  How could a simple Indian man, dressed in a hand-spun, cotton loin-cloth, possibly stand up to the militarily powerful British Empire? Yet Gandhi turned the impossible into a possible. Had Gandhi listened to the prevailing opinions of his time, would India have achieved such path-breaking liberation? Gandhi's example has moved and inspired others great leaders like Martin Luthur King Jr and Nelson Mandela.

The movers and shakers of present and past, the people we admire and respect, are often people who have chosen to walk a different path. It is not easy to ignore the opinions of others, which are oft deep-rooted in the conventional thinking of that time. Did the Wright Brothers adhere to the opinion that man cannot fly? Did Edison give up on his lightbulb and other ground breaking inventions? The mind has to be free from and not influenced by opinion. A free mind is more open to the idea of other possibilities, which automatically creates opportunities, which in turn leads to creativity and discovery. 

Galileo’s heliocentric views was condemned by the Roman Catholic church. A vast majority of the philosophers of his time subscribed to the geocentric theory – that that earth was the center of the universe. They even denounced him to the Spanish Inquisition. Yet Stephen Hawking says of him, “Galileo, perhaps more than any other single person, was responsible for the birth of modern science.” 

Similarly, Hippasus was drowned for proving root two. He is credited for the discovery of Irrational Numbers. Pythagoreans of his time was of the opinion that all numbers could be expressed as the ratio of integers. The very notion of the existence of Irrational Numbers was such a shock that Hippasus was drowned. 

The character of Atticus Finch, in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” defies the racist opinions of his town, and becomes the defense attorney of a black man. He does this despite possible repercussions to him and his family.   He is convinced that Tom Robinson is innocent and is not driven by the town’s opinion that dark skin equals criminal. Though an all-white jury convicts Tom in the story, the actions of Atticus eventually do help precipitate a shift in the town’s thinking.

A common opinion held by many slave-owners during the pre-civil war era was that the slave was ignorant because he was incapable of learning. Frederick Douglass defied popular opinion. His narrative helped people understand otherwise. It was the lack of access to an education and the way he was treated, that made the slave ignorant and not his genetic makeup.

Similarly, many well-meaning professionals sincerely adhere to misconceptions. A little more than two decades ago, it was believed that all kids with the diagnosis of Autism would eventually be institutionalized. Parents were advised to send away their child before they grew attached to a child who could not return their affection , emote, be capable of rational thought or even be capable of any meaningful learning. It took individuals like the late Dr Bernard Rimland to start the shift away from this absolutely horrific travesty. The right combination of therapies and treatments can and has made the lives of the affected individuals more meaningful and for many it has been a road to becoming productive members of society.  

We live in a world where we are bombarded with opinions, yet the mind should not be swayed by them or be influenced by them. Opinions are often influenced by the thinking of the influencial and powerful individuals of the time. But who is to say that might must translate to right. It takes courage and conviction to not blindly follow the herd. 

This is not to say that all opinion is bad. Opinions can be like the tranquil sea, which brings about good fishing. It can also be like the tsunami which sweeps up everything in its path. The human mind is however, capable of the power of discriminating between good and bad opinion, and ferreting out the bad influences and opinions. We need to be open to the idea of possibilities instead of blindly riding the wave of opinion. This mental discrimination is what will put us on the road to a productive and a satisfying life.  

Choose Happiness

Abraham Lincoln said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." In other words, our personal level of satisfaction is entirely within our control. Otherwise, why would the same experience disappoint one person but delight another? Happiness is not an accident but a choice. 

Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to be happy?

===============

Is a glass half empty or half full? Both refer to the same glass of water with the same amount of water, Yet the word empty seems to infer some measure of dis-satisfaction in that something is "lacking".  Half-full on the other hand is far more positive, almost implying there is room for growth, that the glass could be full.

Our attitudes and perceptions does determine our state of happiness to a large extent. Life is filled with both suffering and joy. These are unavoidable axioms of life. It's how we choose to handle these situations, that matters. Happiness and sorrow are relative states. One can never truly appreciate happiness or a state of satisfaction without experiencing sorrow.

The Buddha spent years meditating under the Bodhi Tree pondering these very questions. He stated that there is suffering in human life and that you need to understand its causes. Ultimately it's your state of mind, that can help you overcome it. He expounded that we need to maintain a state of equanimity - one where suffering and joy has no effect on you whatsoever.

This state of perfect equanimity may be a challenge for most folk of today. But we can choose not to drown in the sorrows that life throws our way.

Look at my own life. My autism affects me in so many aspects of my life. Not being able to talk or having full control of my body is frustrating on a daily basis and many a time I do sink. But I also have so many other talents and the potential to make a difference in my life and that of others. This attitude has to be a conscious choice in order to make our life meaningful and productive.

We can choose to see the fullness of our life instead of its emptiness. We can choose to be happy!

We Grew Up

Jeena as an organization is 10 years old!!

When Jeena started, most of us were babies or toddlers.  Jeena is 10 years old now and we are 10 years older. We just grew up!

A decade may not seem like a huge part of an adult’s life. But for kids like me, that’s like MOST of our life.

No more the cute toddlers are we
We kept growing, you see
Many are strapping Teens.
Taller than our parents, are we

Many of us had unpronounceable names added to the end of our names before we were out of diapers.

ADHD and ADD
PDDNOS and GDD
What the heck are these?

A play of letters?
Are you kidding me?
OMG, a mouthful are these!

I may have Visual Impairment
I may have Cerebral Palsy
I may have Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
I may have a rare Metabolic  Disorder  called  Propionic Acidemia
I may have Autism, each different as the trees

Darn! I can’t even say half the names!

So many labels!!
But with no clues all the same.

Hey Docs,
The Dx (diagnosis), is handed out with ease
Do you have the Rx (prescription) too, please?


What a plethora of labels amongst the Jeena Youth! And not all of us managed to overcome every one of our challenges during our “early-intervention years.”

We ride the emotional roller coaster ride much like our typical peers. We develop our own individual personalities and quirks that both endear us to our parents and sometimes just annoy the heck out of them. And that’s being a Teen!

However, the Human Brain has tremendous plasticity and has the potential to develop and adapt. And the Brain has the greatest plasticity during adolescence, according to Dr. Jay N. Giedd, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, at NIMH, who specializes in brain imaging.

There is no reason then, that we youth cannot continue to march ahead, even if we start now. The slow and steady tortoise did move ahead of the swift hare.


Just endless is the possibilities
In the Noble Youth with Disabilities
Yearning just for the opportunities
To overcome perceived dissimilarities


The discovered talents are a-plenty. For example, I have won awards for my poetry and writing. My writing was even published in the “Best of Teen Writing” (with a foreword by Elie Wiesel - Nobel Peace Laureate). I’ve even had the honor of bowing on the stage of Carnegie Hall in New York for the National Gold Medal I received for my work. 

Amongst my fellow Jeena teens, we have several who are talented and versatile musicians. We have a teen who can discuss the complexities of Indian Classical Music at the level of a music professor. And if you think about it, how many people can play by the ear, without having been formally taught? When we pursue our interests, we do them with amazing depth and intensity. Some may call them “obsessions and compulsions,” but from another angle, these are “genius” and “passion.”

We have a teen who is on her city’s youth commission and is an online NASA inspired member. She also wants to be a neurologist. We are not new to the world of doctors, medicine, surgery, physiology, and psychology – we’ve been immersed and have been a first-hand observer to these all our lives. No doubt some of us will be very successful in these fields.

And we have many ambitions for our lives. I definitely see a place for myself as a poet and writer. And maybe even a research scientist as well. A writer and scientist can both influence and contribute to the world. Our minds can think from different perspectives that allow interesting and sometimes innovative insights. 

We have a Jeena youth who is a political science major at UC Irvine, with ambitions of becoming a lawyer.  His high school graduation speech was so inspiring that his school principal quoted this teen’s words in his speech. Just imagine the lawyer he will make.

We have teens who want to become chefs, teachers, artists, and Hollywood animators. Creativity flows and weaves, unlimited as our imaginations. One teen even wants to open a pillow factory. He may just be the inventor of the next generation of ergonomic pillows.  Did Dr. Temple Grandin not revolutionize the field of Animal Husbandry?

Differing Abilities or Un-Discovered Abilities?
That really is the question!


For others, talent and interests could be latent and yet un-discovered. Sometimes the physical, mental and emotional challenges presented by our diagnosis get in the way of us being able to express our ideas.

We teens enjoy and pursue different leisure activities from dancing to sports like skiing. We often have to push ourselves harder and longer in order to be able to do many of these things. Yet we try and try, till we succeed. And, what would the world be for the teen girl without shopping? Many of our Jeena teen girls love shopping, jewelry and clothes – all the rites of a teen girlhood. 

We Jeena teens are not just “special.” We can be “extra-special” and  “extra-ordinary” too in our own way.


Be Patient with US
Open Opportunities for US
Guide US

Watch US amaze YOU !

The Bahamas

Bahamas Vacation

April

‘The Commonwealth of The Bahamas’ is a tiny tropical paradise set in the picturesque Caribbean. It is no surprise therefore, to find that Tourism is the country’s main source of revenue followed by Offshore Banking.

The Caribbean immediately brings to mind Pirates, and the Bahamas was indeed home to the notorious pirate Blackbeard in the 18th century. The locals still tell stories of hordes of undiscovered treasure buried in the now bat-filled caves along the shore.

Visitors are greeted with a native drummer and band at Nassau airport. The rhythmic beat of the drums quickens the senses and sets the mood for the journey ahead.

The turquoise ocean and dazzling coral sands of the Bahamas are undoubtedly hypnotic in their grace. Can one ever really ever get tired of the melody of the sea? And what can be more refreshing to the soul than the lapping of gentle waves over eager toes. The water was just the perfect temperature and the coarse white coral sands crunched comfortably under my feet. The best part was that, there really was no dearth of stunning beaches – after all we were on an island.

We were headed to the Atlantis Royal Towers on Paradise Island. Atlantis was designed and built to replicate the lost sunken legendary city of Atlantis. Careful and meticulous planning had gone into designing the look and feel of a sunken underwater civilization. Relics and artifacts were created new and artificially aged to look ancient! An ‘Atlantian Alphabet’ was created based on the Egyptian system of hieroglyphics. A 15 room archeological “Dig Site” (open to visitors) houses artifacts that had been recovered from the Atlantian city. The enormous Ruins Lagoon, visible all along the hotel lobby, is filled with Altantian ruins and almost 20,000 sea creatures. One simply has to admire the grand vision and imagination of the minds that created such a marvel.

The lobby of the hotel is laced with ornate fountains – a few that were particularly eye catching were the one shaped like an oyster and the flying Pegasus at the entrance. The main dome in the center was ringed with colorful murals of Atlantian life and carvings. 

Atlantis boasts of the world’s largest open air marine aquarium with some 11 lagoons housing over 50,000 species from hammerhead sharks to turtles to the tiny shrimps and sea spiders. 

It was a delight to see the ever graceful giant manta rays glide through the water of the lagoons effortlessly. One could even see them clearly from our room on the 16th floor. And we even witnessed a feeding session of the rays. A giant ray literally filled the entire side of the floor-to-ceiling glass wall at the Cave-In Restaurant.  We watched, as it deftly maneuvered a fish from the feeder’s hand into its mouth. You simply can’t forget a sight like that. You can also go snorkeling and view the rays and the ruins close at hand.

The shallow water interaction with Dolphins was a definite highlight of the trip. There is a full fledged Sea Lion and Dolphin program, and many of the dolphins stranded after Hurricane Katrina were sent there.  Dolphins are just so lovable and so eager to show off, that it’s a pleasure just watching them and touching them. And to see them arc in the air, shake their tail flukes and show off – all just an arms length away, is an incredible experience. It was interesting to learn that the shape of its dorsal fin is like its fingerprint – its unique for each dolphin.

Atlantis also is an enormous waterpark with a waterscape of slides, rides and pools to please all ages. The Mayan Temple structure houses the Serpentine Ride – a ride down from the top through twisting water slide on tubes. The ride leads you to a gentle rock through the middle of the lagoon in a clear tunnel. As you ride through this tunnel, you witness nurse sharks, silky sharks and reef sharks swimming all around you. What a rush! Its just a long walk up the Mayan Temple with your tube for each ride though!

The other ride I enjoyed, was the 35-minute, mile-long Rapids and Currents. Waves propel tubes along the river and the journey is interspersed with rapids and currents. The best part is that, you don’t have to get off – you can just continue for rounds 2 and 3 and 4… And what’s better that riding on waves for as long as you want?

There was a gentler 15-min version called Lazy River Ride. But once you go on the Rapids and Current, you’re pretty much hooked.

The eleven or so swimming pools on the grounds had exotic names like the Mayan Pool and the Royal Baths Pool -  many with their own pool slides and little grottos filled with bubbling warm water. There were enough loungers for all who wanted to sunbathe or simply relax while sipping cool pineapple and watermelon drinks. 

And who can forget the towel-huts, which satisfied a very essential need! Where there is water, there needs to be an endless supply of towels.

An island means beaches and Atlantis itself was home to two of them – Atlantis Beach and Cove Beach. While their Paradise Lagoon offered non-motorized water rides like kayaks and pedalboats, the beaches offered opportunities to JetSki, ParaSail, Catamarans, Power Boats, Fishing and Island tours by boat. Jet skiing was total exhilaration and fun – slicing through the choppy waves at sea, the wind whipping in your face. We went all the way to the distant rocks nearly a mile out to sea.

Our room on the 16th floor of the Atlantis Royal Towers offered panoramic views of the park and dazzling ocean. The magnificent hotel room views added extra flavor to the ambience of the vacation. The sounds of the ocean and the band that played on the beach carried into our room late at night.

There is just so much to do in Atlantis itself that its hard to venture out and see the local sites. Straw Market was an interesting such stop, in Nassau. There are narrow rows of stalls packed with shops selling everything from t-shirts to wind-chimes to jewelry made of seashells. Along the sides were some wood carvers, chiseling away at the pieces they were carving – be they face masks or turtles. A drummer dressed in a colorful local costume stood by for a photo opportunity. The harbor had 3 cruise boats docked that day and the place was bustling with tourists. 

The local women were dressed in brilliant colors, which was a nice change from the dull pastels found in the US. Colors really do lighten and brighten up our lives. 

Lots of our famous celebrities own homes in The Bahamas. The cab driver drove us past the adjacent homes of Eddie Murphy, Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder. While parts of Nassau looked affluent and well maintained, other parts looked equally rundown.

Cricket is played there but the sport that is well followed is Basketball. The waiter informed us that the majority of Bahamians are LA Laker fans. Rick Fox is a Bahamian and Magic Johnson was a frequent visitor to The Bahamas. 

What an absolute, fun-packed, fantastic vacation!

Innocence Lost

A Essay on Child Labor.  My essay won a Merit Award from Scholastic California Writing Project.

Innocence Lost!

The 1910s was a glorious “Coming of Age” period for the United States. We were emerging as a bonafide industrial powerhouse and dazzled the world with our new machinery and inventions. Immigrants poured into the country in search of economic opportunities and the American Dream. In 1910, 40% of the population in New York was foreign born and 38% was first generation. Factories abounded and business owners knew naught but profits.

Many of new immigrants did not know English and even less of American Democracy. They eked out a living at these factories that dotted the cities. They worked long hours and endured miserable working conditions. Early capitalism precluded notions of social responsibility by corporations. There was no concept of worker safety – that would cut into bottom lines. Few of the workers could afford childcare, so the younger ones often wandered the streets. When the wages are below-subsistence and there are many mouths to feed, everyone is forced to work – even the children. And what better way to cut costs for the factory owners than to employ child labor.

Innocence Lost!

In  1910, only 48% of kids in Rhode Island attended school.  Education, leisure and play were the privilege of the wealthy minority. And only these children had the opportunity to really enjoy their childhood.

Life for many of the “other” kids was confined to the walls of manufacturing factories all across the cities of America. They worked in cigar factories, textile mills and packing factories. Technology had made the machinery easy to operate especially in the textile industry e.g.: the Arkwright Machines. One adult supervising a number of children meant larger profits. They were even small enough to crawl under textile machinery to oil it. They were locked in for long hours and beaten if they fell asleep. Crowded and unhygienic conditions often resulted in respiratory and other ailments.  The glorious Industrial Revolution was in full force in the United States!

Social Reformers like Jane Addams recognized the issues that plagued the polyglot society of the 1910s. Though she was from a wealthy background, she chose to do something about it. The establishment of Hull House in Chicago provided an oasis for the immigrant population. For the children, this meant day care, chance at an education and the childhood pursuit of play. Her efforts resulted in Chicago’s first public playground and the building of more schools. And she worked toward passing laws that made child labor illegal and the establishment of juvenile courts.

A hundred years later; we have come a long way. The United States has passed and implemented child labor laws.  The Fair Labor Standards Act restricts employment and abuse of children in the US. It also does much to protect their educational opportunities and restricts their employment in hazardous jobs. It restricts the number of hours children under 16 can work. There is even a separate enforcement division called Wage and Hour Division.

We have cleaner and safer working conditions now. Our society and economy went from strength to strength and we became a global superpower.  We lead the world in the search and discovery of new technology. As we moved to fresher pastures, much of the work we used to do, has moved to other countries. For example, most of the manufacturing has moved out of the United States to emerging economies like China.

The US continues to be the world’s largest consumer with its enormous purchasing power. The illusion of a vast virtual income is further driven by the existence of endless credit. Capitalism is based on supply and demand. There are many countries willing to produce and sell goods that satisfy the insatiable appetite of America. And we also insist on getting them cheaper and cheaper too.

The image of those ragged American children working in textile mills have become mere photos in our history textbooks. But we have just replaced them with the unseen images of millions of non-American children in other countries. Have we just transferred the social injustices of our past onto other countries?

Have we as a society, really considered the consequences of our incessant consumerism. Did we ever stop to consider, for example, that the expensive diamonds – “the gift of love” - that we wear, could be the toil of child labor in the diamond mines of Africa?

We cannot put on blinders and pretend that our history or our future is not closely interlinked with that of the rest of the world. After all, immigrants from all over the world make up this country.

For corporations in a capitalistic society, the bottom line is still a determining factor. As environment, labor and safety laws became more stringent in the United States; the multi-national corporations simply moved the jobs overseas to countries where the laws were less rigid or not enforced as well. Child labor is considered illegal in many countries today, thanks to efforts of organizations such as the International Labor Organization and UNICEF, but is poorly enforced in most.

In 2008, as many as 1000 school age children were found working in the manufacturing zones in the Guangdong Province of China (near Hong Kong). Labor recruiters are believed to have lured thousands of children away from the poverty stricken Liangshan region of China. Ironically stricter enforcement of adult labor laws and inflation had made these manufacturing sectors turn to illegal child labor to stay competitive. They produce much of the cheap toys and electronics that kids in the US enjoy.

In 2004, some 480 children, some as young as 5-6 yrs old, were rescued from embroidery factories in New Delhi, India. These sweatshops produced clothing for GAP Kids in the US. Surely this is not what we had in mind when we started to outsource. Similar scenarios of child labor have arisen with Firestone Inc at their metal plantation in Liberia. H&M, a worldwide fashion retail chain has been accused of using cotton from Siberia, where children under 10 often work the fields.

The sad truth is that child labor is common in many parts of the world – in agriculture, mining, domestic work, industry and informal sectors. They often endure cruel and harsh conditions. While, we in the United States have fought against it, ironically we may in part be encouraging it in other parts of the world.

The US has put in much effort, by passing laws such as the Child Labor Deterrence Act in 1993 (Harkin's Bill). This curbs the import of goods that uses child labor in any stage of its production. But is boycotting such goods, really the best solution? UNICEF found that thousands of child laborers lost their jobs in the garment industries of Bangladesh as a result of this Act.  Driven by poverty, they simply moved to more hazardous jobs like stone-crushing. The UNICEF, IPEC (International Program for Elimination of Child Labor – A division of ILO) and other non-profits are now trying to rehabilitate these kids by slowly phasing them into schools.

Sometimes it happens right under the nose of our democracy. In 2008, Agriprocessors, a meat packaging company in Kentsville, Iowa, was charged with over 9000 child labor law violations, involving 32 minors. Of these 7 were under the age of 16. One always hears stories of sweatshops right in the US where immigrants work long and grueling hours for little pay. Who is to say that minors are not in that group that works in those very sweatshops?

The reasons for child labor remain the same whether it is 1910 or 2010. Abject poverty drives entire family to work. There isn’t a parent in the world that does not want their child to have an education or enjoy the pursuits of childhood. And it is economic conditions that make parents willingly or unwillingly send their kids off to work as they depend on the additional income. Perhaps there are no educational opportunities available to that child in that region and the alternative is working.

Discovery and rehabilitation of child workers is a good short term solution. So is raising public awareness and corporate responsibility by passing and implementing laws. But the real long term solution to worldwide child labor is really to increase the standard of living in all countries and across all strata of society. Only then can child labor truly become mere images in history books across the world. 

Sources:

"Government and Immigration." 1910's Government and Politics. Gale Cengage, 1996. eNotes.com. 2006. 15 Jan, 2010 http://www.enotes.com/1910-government-politics-american-decades/government-immigration

Whaples, Robert. "Child Labor in the United States". EH.Net Encyclopedia, edited by Robert Whaples. October 7, 2005. URL http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/whaples.childlabor

Slater, Samuel. “Father or the American Industrial Revolution”. Jan 15, 2010 http://www.woonsocket.org/slaterchildlabor.html

United States Department of Labor – Youth and Labor  Jan 2010 http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/youthlabor/index.htm

The History Place: Child Labor in America 1908-1912 http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/

Hakim, Joy.  “A History of US – Book 7, An Age of Extremes.”

The New York Times. 5/10/2008. Child Labor Rings Reach China’s Distant Villages http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/world/asia/10CHINA.html

The New York Times. 11/15/2007. GAP Moves to recover from Child Labor Scandal http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/business/worldbusiness/15iht-gap.1.8349422.html

The Iowa Independent. 9/9/2008 Agriprocessors charged with over 9000 child labor law violations http://iowaindependent.com/5235/agriprocessors-charged-with-9000-child-labor-law-violations

United States Dept of Labor – Bangladesh Jan 2010 http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/bangladesh.htm

Rahman, Mufizur et al. Child Labor in Bangladesh: A Critical Appraisal of Harkin's Bill and the MOU-Type Schooling Program. Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 33, 1999 http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=LSQGQQHSJWZdNKHLwp0J6G0yHyCrmYLv5dpmvYMZRLjhP2fBvhvf!-852814118!1201110973?docId=5001865348

ILO, Investing in every child: An economic study of the Costs and Benefits of Eliminating Child Labor. Dec 2003 http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---webdev/documents/publication/wcms_071311.pdf

ILO, Diamonds are Forever, But Not the Lives of Child Workers. Nov 2006. http://ihscslnews.org/view_article.php?id=162