hutchblog

energy of a squirrel July 21, 2008

Originally uploaded by thehutch

the last few weeks I have been searching for a few different opportunities and discovered that most trails are dead ends. It has been a test of patience and endurance that has left me absolutely shattered and emotionally drained.
This morning at a team meeting, and also a review session, I was in a position where I was supposed to give out a little but the tank was empty…..there was nothing to give.
Sometimes I need the endurance of a squirrel on the hunt for food, never ending energy and enthusiasm in abundance.

rest July 18, 2008

Originally uploaded by thehutch

looking forward to some space this weekend……this week has taken a toll on me, not a full diary thing, more an emotional response to the events of the week. Today was heavy duty but I have survived and am in one piece. The weekend is timely……time to rest!

mentoring July 16, 2008

Originally uploaded by thehutch

am working on a mentoring project at the moment and having fun doing it. As I have been researching it have been amazed at the different views and opinions expressed when asking a few basic questions, questions such as;
1) What is mentoring?
2) How do you engage with mentoring?
3) How do you measure the success of mentoring?
….and so forth and so on.
The range of answers are boggling but one thing is for certain, there are a couple of practitioners that I will meet before I get something concrete written down. One is engaged with a sports project….boxing….and the other has what I perceive as success with young people at risk of exclusion.
The next month should see some practical progress and hope that the results are worthwhile. This project has given me plenty of breathing space in what has been a hectic 2 weeks……it is a blessing in a time of uncertainty.

watching your every move July 16, 2008

One of the difficulties of living in a “big brother” world with numerous cameras guarding us from the “terrorist” threat is that we start to believe that everyone looking at us, everyone questioning us, everyone who looks different is suspicious.  It provides us with a skewed sense of reality and one that does not help build relationship or community.

It is ok for people to ask questions….yes, really.  they can even ask provocative questions, it does not always come from a negative heart.  Just because someone is watching you does not make them suspicious….they may just be interested.  The man at a childrens play area with a camera may just be a father taking family pictures.

We are fast becoming a nation, a world, with suspicion everywhere….sometimes events, words, questions etc. are just innocent things and part of a normal life.  Yes, we have to be careful but let’s not lose our freedom because we doubt everything around us.

opportunity July 15, 2008

have to do a 10 minute presentation entitled “opportunity” later this week.  Looking forward to it although the context leaves me a little nervous.  It is an appropriate presentation for myself as currently am in a place that has great opportunity but also the potential for pitfalls, the latter is something that can, and will, be avoided if I learn from the past and choose to move forward.

new home July 15, 2008

so far so good, most of my transfers have worked effortlessly, just the hutchblog domain name to go and the new blog is sorted……must admit, very pleased so far

positive press? July 14, 2008

Can you believe that the BBC has something positive to say about teenagers.

At last we cry…..at bloomin last!!

drive by shooting July 14, 2008

last night I got shot…..really, honest truthfully. Was crossing a road in High Barnet, arms laden with publicity boards for a presentation, when a car passes, I feel pain in my belly, hear laughter from the passing car and look down to see a small blue ball rolling to the edge of the road.

It took a few moments to take in but thankfully it was not a genuine bullet and just soreness where the pellet hit me. Kind of a bizarre experience…..getting shot at point blank distance and living to tell the tale.

easy to be critical July 11, 2008

sometimes it is easy to be critical of people and this is made much easier when there are the crazy high profile cases of neglect but there is an interesting article here that raises questions on leaving children home alone over holiday periods.
there is another question that needs answering…..can we do any more to help both the young people and the parents? ….and a few more questions….Who should be the ones to help? Should parents have a greater legal responsibility? What is an appropriate age? am sure there are many more questions!

hoodie July 6, 2008

hoodie
Originally uploaded by thehutch.

once if you wore jeans you were assumed to be a rebel……now Prime Ministers and Presidents wear them with no negative connotations.
in a few years it may be the same for the hoodie wearer and it will be a new garment that has the mark of “rebel” written all over it.