Why I Won’t Tell My Son to Change the World
There’s a Maya Angelou quote that has stuck with me since the fourth grade:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
In a great big world of lofty problems and so much unknown, this quote impressed upon me that as a little person, I could still make meaningful impact by focusing on the individuals around me.
As a child, this meant saying “Thank You” to the school janitor, volunteering to be a “Reading Buddy” to kindergarteners, and organizing friends to create a birthday card for our teacher.
However, the prevailing message for young people has always been:
“Go out there and change the world!”
Speakers at school would inevitably rally our life goals around this ultimate idealistic message. However, I often felt that this idea was too nebulous and abstract to act upon.
Whenever I heard it, I imagined a group of determined young people storming out of school. Empowered with their boundless enthusiasm, they shout at unsuspecting bystanders about their determination to change the world.
