I had a fairly long day working in London yesterday and while reflecting on my various meetings I became aware that the one thing that connected yesterday together was dreams, some great, some ok, and some plainly ridiculous!
The start of the day was at the chief execs meeting of NCVYS where the first part of the morning was given to a Tory MP and his team to share with us their ’emerging youth policy’. It was interesting to hear but quite saddening as they outlined a dream of all 16 year olds having a 5 week residential to look at citizenship and stuff (I must admit my mind drifted a bit!). I was amazed at the arrogance to think that all 16 year olds should go on what I think it basically a boot camp! After Tom’s GCSE’s we will want to go on holiday, not say goodbye to him for 5 weeks, and I’m sure (and hope) many other parents would feel the same.
After a few challenges on how this would happen the MP said they would make it happen and actually said ‘this is going to happen’ – thankfully he has to get through an electorate first and the odds of that happening are at very best 50:50!
My meetings in the afternoon were with YFC people to hear about their dreams. I met with Dione to hear about the progress she is making in Wandsworth. The experience was so different to the morning in hearing a dream that was well thought out and had the interests of young people at its core and was manageable if a little challenging. I then met with others working in London and heard of their aspirations and dreams for their areas. Again it was like being in another world – meeting with people with nothing to prove and only God to impress.
At the end of my refection (call it Examen if you like) I reflected on how releasing it is to have only one person to impress – that one being God. I do not need to think up ambitious unattainable sound-bite dreams to impress a group of people – I simply need to be wanting to impress my creator.
The Shiny Headed Prophet 
Question Rob,Would you have been so dismissive of this approach and not paid attention whilst the person was speaking if it had been a Labour MP? Are you letting that personal preference get in the way?
Hi DarrelGood question, and one I considered , but I don’t think I let me bias over-influence me on this occassion. In fact I think I did pay attention until I heard the lack of thought out detail and planning – in this case nothing had been costed, the plan of 250 000 young people all going on 5 week residentials after GCSE’s alone had not even been costed or looked at by the shadow chancellor which led me to switch off as I think if its not been costed, we don’t know how real a proposal it is, and so it should not be shared with us.I am biased but I try to be fairly balanced here – I have, for example, heavily criticised Labour’s record on Iraq and lack of action in Burma …but thank you for the challenge … much appreciated.