The Teen World - The Four Seeds

Let me begin with a story.

Once upon a time,
There were 4 young seedlings and each was unique.
At an experiment, they were seperated into 2 groups of 2.
The first pair was sent into the deepest ends of the jungle and the second pair was sent into the botanical gardens in Singapore.
The first pair had to fight the other seeds and trees for sun, water and all that is needed for a plant to grow.
The second pair had the measured amounts of sun, water and minerals given to them instead.
From the first pair, the First Seed grew humble, strong and majestic tree standing tall for all to see.
The Second Seed however, reached similar heights by climbing over and blocking sun and water of others. He died long before the First Seed.
From the second pair, the Third Seed became a rare species. Groomed my the botanist of the garden, he reached his peak of his growth. Standing tall, bearing much fruit, breaking new grounds.
The Fourth Seed however, did not get that same result. With the same conditions as the Third Seed, he grew lazy with the treatment. He took the sun, water and minerials for granted. He did not strive to grow and ended up a "Failure". In the end, he was given up upon and was cut away.
This is the story of the Four Seeds.

There are many many teenagers out there who are managing and coping with life to the best they can. However, there are also many many tenagers out there crying for a way out. I am 18 years old and I am one of them. Maybe you are too.

The teen world is unique in its nature. It is different from a child's and different from an adults. It is a place of transition and has its own rules, traditions, values, music, slang, style and so on. In every school, clique and group, exists a distinct culture which makes the group different from others. This is the teen world we all know

One teenager quoted:
"The teen world is about being one up. The crazy world of one-upmanship is so validated on TV; there is the sense that this is the way it should be. In the teen world, verbal abuse dosen't exist as a real thing. When people put you down, as they are 'suppose to', if it bothers you, there is something wrong with you. The world is built on this one-up, one-down idea."

Do we all fall victim to verbal abuse in our teenage lives? Only recently, I wanted to initiate an idea and my friends told me it was "crap". That I shouldn't think of going about it the other way. And that it should be done "this way" instead.

I also wanted to take up a certain course but my father was against it. He said that I shouldn't take it up as there is no future for that.

Words and phrases like "useless", "waste of time", "don't be stupid", "childish", "grow up", "what are you, a retard?", "you suck!", "It won't work...", "stop dreaming", "your still young", "you don't understand" and many many more out there are said to teenagers every single day. Do any of these sound familiar at one point? Then you are not alone.

In the end, teenagers are humans. Teenagers are the result of children growing up. Teenagers represent what adults long to return to and want to treasure. Teenagers need Motivation and Confidence to grow into the "successful" adult that all adults around us want us to be. Motivation and Confidence is however a very sacred resource and most adults use these as tools of reward. If you have come home early on time without breaking curfew, does your parents acknowledge your behaviour? What if the opposite happens? It is such a wonder to adults how "kids these days" can go astray and participate in undesirable activities. But with the little support given by these adults, I wonder why they think such. Ultimately it goes around in a circle.

Motivation is like water and Confidence is like sun. If we are to see the fruits of our little Seeds, we need to water and sun the plant daily and carefully. Too much Motivation may result in sounding too naggy and will drown the plant. Too much Confidence may result in a proud behaviour of conciteness. Both these results are negative. But the risk of it happening is forever present. If water is not given and not present daily, it may affect the growth of the plant. Same with the sun. Motivation and Confidence must be given in moderation regularly. The key words are "moderation" and "regularly". Hard for adults to do? Yes. Thats why there are so little botanist out there. Neccessary for adults to do? Yes. Thats why raising a child is the toughest, hardest and longest project for a parent to undertake.

As teenagers, we too have to play our part. We have to strive for Sun and Water or we will not get any of it. The process of striving is the process of growing and learning. If we keep at it, like the First Seed, we will grow and reach our dreams. The teenage world is not so complicated after all. Its just mis-understood. It is up to us to make them understand not the other way round. Therefore I encourage you out there. Be whatever troubles your facing. Be whatever downfalls you meet. Be whatever relations you struggle with. Be whatever confidence lost. Be whatever motivation drained. Be whatever others said and did to you. YOU are the one who can stand up and be counted. YOU are the one who can decide to change. YOU are the one who can make that difference. Remember the best way to Change those around you is to Change yourself. You are NOT alone. You never will be alone. You are stronger then what others think because they don't know what your going through.

So stand up and keep your chin up as you fight the world. Soon others will be fighting you as you grow older. I told a friend, "But thats life." and she replied "Why must follow life?" This is true for most teens. Don't be afraid to go against the flow. Don't be afraid to stand and be counted. Because if you do this, you will feel a whole lot better inside.

Your Friend,

Jonathan Szeto

The Ambassador

Written and Composed by: Jonathan Szeto

Verse:
I'm waiting for your Glory,
I'm longing for your Truth,
I can't believe that you would set me free.
I want to Love just like you,
And that's my Prayer to you,
Lord there's nothing that I need but you.

Chorus:
So come in my presence,
And set my life anew.
Assure my foundations,
And I can be a Rock for you.
Forgive my misgivings,
And all my previous sins.
Cause now I want to be,
An Ambassador for you,
Jesus!

Do you want it?

Do you want to go places in life?
Do you want to achieve something to look back on?
Do you want to be respected and loved?

These are all questions we run into at some point in our lives. Many a times, we see the person next to us stepping up the ladder of success and we wonder, why not me? We search everywhere and ask plenty of questions to find the answer. Books and videos and letters and journals, friends and family and even our bosses. Lucky is the man if he/she finds it in those places.

If you want to go places in life, you have to want to go places in life.
If you want to achieve something, you have to want to achieve it.
If you want to be respected and loved, you have to want to be respected and loved.

Now, thats all common sense isn't it?
Of course if you want to go places, you want to go places.
But what am I really trying to say here?

Its all very simple if you look at it in this way. See this from a child's point of view. Everyone of the children in class wants to do well. The all want to ace their exams. But when you look at them individually, it is those who do something that get something. Likewise in today's context, if we want to go places in life, we need to get our act together and start showing that we want to go places in life. You cannot go anywhere in the world unless you are wanting to do something.

Therefore friends, let me ask you. Do you want it? and you'll know what you need to do.

Best Regards,
Jonathan Szeto

Walk On

Written and Composed by: Jonathan Szeto

Verse 1:
I’m wandering in the desert.
Looking for the truth to set me free.
I’m struggling to find my way.
The heat is on and I’m losing my faith.

Verse 2:
Forty days and forty nights.
The pressures’ building and I’m falling into plight.
Will I ever leave the desert?
I won’t know, but my journey carries on.

Chorus:
I’ve got to walk on, walk on.
Walk on, till the day is done.
I won't be reduced to being lost in the war.
I will walk on

The Y-Stars

The Y-STARS (Special Teens Arts and Recreational Society) are truely a unique group of friends who have gone through think and thin. They are excellent dancers and have a passion to create change in the social and community service sector.

Here are some witty quotes from them:

Laura – “Leave me alone. No more sushi for you!”

Jerry – “Wow!”

Brandon – “SPIDERMAN is my HERO!”

Cheok Hon – “Let me teach you: ‘One step Back, Two steps forward!’”

Timothy – “I like watches, McDonalds and prata too.”

Gabriella – “I love Painting and Dancing.”

Jessica – “I like to Dance and Sing and I love Chicken Rice!”

Aaron – “I wish I can go to Taiwan to meet Aaron Kwok. I Love Dancing!”

Luqman – “I like Wrestling and Bowling”

Wen Si – “I Love 5566”

Ben Lee – “I want a girlfriend for Christmas.”

Ben Yao – “I like BATMAN!”


As you can see, the Y-STARS members, even though they have Down syndrome, are just like you and me. They have their wants and they have their needs. Their zeal for life and enthusiam for living makes them such great friends to hang out with. I have never had a dull moment with them around. Thank you Y-STARS for your warmth and goodness.

Strive forwards to a Bright Future!
Jonathan Szeto

What You Can Do

Written and Composed by: Jonathan Szeto

Verse 1:
When life is troubled and confused
When plans and dreams are broken in two
When the world seems so cold and your feeling blue
You don't need me to tell you, what you can do

Chorus:
You don't need me to tell you, what you can do
For you are the only person who can lift up your hues
You just need some motivation and confidence too
You don't need me to tell you, what you can do

Verse 2:
It always looks hard from afar
But when you're down to it, it seems less hard
So take each problem in your stride
You only get to live one day at a time

Chorus End:
You're the only person who can live your dreams through
Believe in yourself and what you can do
You don't need me to tell you, what you can do
You don't need me to tell you, what you can do

Quotes

"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world"

From this quote I see that we should never underestimate the power of Humans. Our limitations are only there to be broken. Desire to break through and you will. Only you have the power to decide that. Everyday, you have the chance to make a difference. The difference is how you use each day.

By: Jonathan

You Don’t Need A Reason To Give

Written and Composed by: Jonathan Szeto

Verse 1:
I hear the cries of those in pain
Those who fail to find a name
To be respected just like you and I
But their ostracized

The gift for Love is there for all
Give it freely give it all
The little action that you do
Will go a long way on

Chorus:
Every road that you take
You’ll get the chance to reach out
You don’t need a reason to give
People come people go
You can change you can grow
So you don’t need a reason to give

Verse 2:
Maybe we are just the same
Feeling hurts and feeling pains
So why would they want to go
And make us feel all different

There’s something you and I all share
It’s the want to be up there
The need to feel important
And gain some recognition

Lalala…..

You don’t need a reason
To give all you can

Quotes

"Don't just make Money... Make Memories"

Acceptance of Diversity – Integration of the Special Needs Community into Classrooms

In this modern era that we all live in, it is important that children with Special Needs be integrated into the classrooms. A website for teachers, Teachernet, defines “Special Needs” for children as children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn or access education than most children of the same age. There are many areas of Special Needs and the two most common ones are Autism and Downs Syndrome. Rainbow Dreams, a locally written book on the care for special needs children tells us that Autism in itself has a wide range which ranges from mild to servere. And about 40% of all autistic children show hyperactive tendencies as well. Reasons for the cause of Autism are still relatively unknown and it can be caused by many reasons. Downs Syndrome, however, is caused by genetic disorder. 95% of all Downs Syndrome have the disorder called the Trisomy 21. In this case, there is an extra chromosome 21, so there are 3 chromosome 21s instead of the usual pair. Downs Syndrome is one of the most common forms of Intellectual Disabilities. The ratio in the population is about 1 in 800, (Lyen, 1997). So there are many people who are intellectually challenged in our community and they should be a part of our community, not apart from it. In the area of schooling, children with Special Needs have to be part of the normal schooling system. This has to start from the early years as much as possible. This may not be possible for some children with Special Needs need to have early intervention. But for those who can, I encourage their parents to integrate them into the childcare centres.


There are however four problems which faces the integration into the classrooms. Firstly, it is the different levels of integration. Integration on its own can be classified into the physical presence, mental acceptance, acknowledgement of the child and awareness. The physical presence is just integrating the child and his or her body in the classroom and not working further. The child’s physical body is in the class but his or her mind is not there as there is little to stimulate the child. This can be seen in our centres today and it is not good for the child at all. Like this the child just fills up a space in the class and is not given his or her chance to be part of the class. The next level is the mental acceptance. Here, the teachers communicate and interact with the child. But the physical environment is lacking. There is not enough in the environment which stimulates the child. Just as the child needs to interact with the teachers and peers, he or she needs to look to the environment for guidance from time to time. Thirdly is the full acknowledgement of the child in the class in both the environment and the teachers. Lastly, it is the awareness in the community. In order for full integration of special needs children in the classroom, teachers, principals, parents, the immediate community and the government needs to be aware of the characteristics of these special needs children.


In most instances, we are at the level where we acknowledge the child. With some centres accepting special children into their classes and parents who are willing to send their special child to a kindergarten despite the prejudices, everyone in the community has a part to play. The second problem facing integration is the prejudice facing the special child in the class. Parents of mainstream children need to teach their child about differences in people and to accept them. There was a story which I heard which saddened me deeply. Jane a 4 year old child went up to Timothy’s (Timothy has Downs Syndrome) mom and told her that everyone in class dose not like her son. And that they will not play with him because he is different. When I heard about this, I wondered what Jane’s parents and/or teachers have been teaching her. For acceptance and understanding of others, needs to be taught from home. So it is really important that parents themselves understand the needs of the community.


The third problem that integration faces is the teacher’s role. Some mainstream teachers seem to understand that these children are so “special” that only to experts know how to handle them. This is true to some sense but there are courses available for teachers to improve on their abilities. And besides, as teachers in schools, we have to be able to cater to different types of learners, Schoeman (1998). The role of a teacher is to accommodate diversity in the classroom and give equal chances to all the students as how they need it. It is not uncommon for teachers to focus on the achievers and forget those with less potential. Therefore, the role of a teacher is extremely important.


The last problem facing integration is attitude. There has to be a right attitude within the lay people and professionals to accept the diversities in the community. The right attitude is also needed to see the positives in the integration of special needs children. Research from Downsed has shown that there is not much difference in academic matters except in mathematics and writing in the special schools from year 1986 to 2000. This shows that in the evolvement of the special schools, there has just been an improvement in academics, and not in social aspects or emotional areas. So from here, we can see the importance of having an integrated classroom. There will be a lot of barriers and stereotypes to break down but in the long run, special children in mainstream schools would turn out with more confidence and self-belief. So once again the attitude of the community is essential for integration as it builds the foundation of acceptance and helps people from both parties(people working with special needs children and those who have not at all) to see the positives in integration.


In understanding the problems facing integration, we can now move on to see the benefits of an integrated program. But, when talking of such changes in education, there can be no doubt that government policies have to come into the picture. There are certain legislations affecting disabled children and some of them are the Education for All Handicapped Children Act and the Education Amendments which is the commitment to educating children with disabilities and providing training for teachers as well. These are just some examples on how Lawmakers are recognizing the needs of the special needs community, (Lerner, Lowenthal, Egan, 2003).


In conclusion, providing and creating opportunities and being aware of the community is what makes the integration of special needs children in the classrooms possible. Being able to have the right attitude and understanding how parents and teachers feel on this matter is important as well. The belief that special children are children first before the disability, and should be accepted into the ordinary world like any other, is what sustains this cause for integration, (Bird, Buckley, 1998). So unless all children grow up together, there can never be a full acceptance of diversities, be it race, religion, culture, and disabilities. Therefore, special needs children must be integrated into the classrooms.

By: Jonathan Szeto

A Life Less Ordinary, More Then Perfect

Even as you read this, I’m sure you are wondering why a life that is less then normal can be more than perfect. This is the paradox of the world and it will always be there.

“Jessica! Where are you?” I shouted. It was a sunny day and I brought my sister out to enjoy the company of my friends. It so happened, that she wandered away from the group and was lost. We searched everywhere for her but to no avail.

Jessica Szeto Pei Ying, age 16, about 130cm tall, short black hair and wears glasses. This is the person I love most in this world. My sister was born 2 years after me and she has Down’s syndrome. Not knowing much about DS, I grew up throwing tantrums and many a times made a fool of me just so that my parents, relatives and friends would notice me. What could I do? I was only 8.

As I went through primary school, my sister went in and out of the hospital countless of times. She would see doctor after doctor and when she was not, it would be a therapist. I spent my noons after school at the hospital daily. My refuge would be the television room at ward 55, on the 5th floor. I rested there, played there, studied there and cried there. Even now, I can still smell the disinfectant that would linger over the low, green, cushiony chairs of the hospital grounds.

Now why would God allow someone so precious to go through life like that? I believe it is to teach what no other can impart. A person with Down’s syndrome is no more handicapped than a person who struggles through his own imperfections to live his life to the fullest. To be given the privilege to live with one so special is more than what I deserve. The trials that came into my life would have engulfed me if not for her. When I was scolded and beaten, and had no more tears left to cry, she would stand there and cry with me. When I was afraid and thought of running away, her simple words of, “Kor Kor (Brother), I love you.” would lift me up. I could not understand how she, who is denied so many of life’s pleasures, is able to see so much pleasure in what little she has. Maybe it is I who is “disabled”.

The years went by and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous of Jessica. Everyone seemed to love her more. My self-pity blinded the love that surrounded me as well. By God’s grace, I started to see the light some more years later and took an interest in helping people. Changing the core foundations of any building overnight is near impossible. It seems that the building would first have to be brought down. I broke through my comfort zone and did something that changed my life forever.

The time came when Jessica had to be admitted into the hospital for some checks. It was the school holidays and I volunteered to be the sole person to stay over night at the hospital with her. I was 11 going on 12. It was frightening and I remembered checking on her as and when I could and time passed so slowly. Every minute felt like an hour. But, I was laying new foundations. The old building was demolished.

Then came the teenage years. Through the course of my 4 years in secondary school, my sister continues to amaze me and now I see which road I am headed for in life. I only want what is best for her.

The process of self renewal gave me other valuable soft skills that improved me as a person as well. This is very important as Jessica looks to me as a role model. My desire to help, teach and lead others spurred me to pursue a dream to touch and change lives. Towards the end of my secondary school education, I decided once again to break my comfort zone by gearing to enter the Early Childhood Field. I felt that to help others, I needed to know how one develops. I always had Jessica in mind as I made life changing decisions.

The road of our friendship and love for each other never ceases. I would sometimes sit and think, what would happen if she was no longer a part of my life? I don’t think I can live to the fullest if it ever happened. I started to treasure and remember each and every moment spent with her. Even the simplest things we do together like going shopping would be enough to keep me going.

People who have children, parents, siblings or relations with disabilities have 2 main choices in life. They can choose to see it as a gift or as a curse. Ultimately, the choice taken is determined by one’s attitude. No man is an island. Family, friends, strangers who showed love - these people are angels who made my life and that of my sister’s more meaningful. I thank you if you are one of them. But if you are not, I thank you as well. You have shown me a different perspective of life.

There is a mindset in society that views people with special needs as being incomplete. Sadly, some parents and siblings are ashamed of their own child and brother or sister respectively. I feel that the innocence of people with special needs sheds a light on our imperfect world. Acceptance runs both ways. True acceptance brings joy and the joy people with special needs bring to those around them comes from their whole-hearted being, deep within. I thank God for you Jessica for accepting me as I am.