A Young American
~ Janny

Here is a picture of me (3rd from the left) getting ready to take a bow after a performance. Being part of The Young Americans was one of the most important things I have done in my life, for many reasons. I learned to cultivate and share my heart and talents in the hopes that others would feel joy. Living on tour, traveling for months in busses and planes with 30+ young people from all around the country provided the backdrop for learning how to live, side by side, with my "tour family" in a daily routine of acceptance, unconditional love and with the greatest of respect. Being on stage and in the limelight was not our only responsibility. The process would begin with months of focused rehearsal and preparation. While on tour, we unloaded semi trucks (daily) filled with risers, speakers, monitors, sound boards, costumes, and staging equipment that we also set up for each performance, then after each performance, we would re-pack the trucks, sleep a little, and travel to the next town. We were given the opportunity to spend time with celebrities and world leaders. Equally important to me, we met people our age in each town, where we grouped together for a time of sharing a little about ourselves while learning, first-hand, and a lot about people all over the country. Not to mention keeping up with school work and assignments from back at home! These combined experiences provided a basis for things like a strong work ethic, perseverance, compassion, respect, appreciation, utilizing God-given talents, a sense of humor and other skills and perspectives to last a lifetime. Some I practice daily, others I have pushed aside and need to bring back in the limelight.

Today's Young Americans are much, much more sophisticated than we were back in the '70's. The group is making an impact all over the world, providing 3-day workshops to schools and other groups that culminate in a combined group performance on the final day, but what occurs in the 3 days is an indescribable experience. I just watched a 30 minute DVD featuring one of the workshops, recently held in a men's youth prison in Germany. The dual and profound impact, for both the prisoners and the Young Americans, is a beautiful tribute to hope, unity and unconditional love.

I am honored (and very humbled) to have been part of the Young American's beginnings. I would love to share this DVD with you sometime. Well, that's my story ... Thanks for listening. I would love to hear your story, too.