It’s easy to get all wrapped around your axle when you’re a writer who’s got things going in the correct direction. Other issues, other people, other writers become landscape whizzing by the windows as the train picks up speed. I fall into that group in spite of my best efforts, and took some time to slow down and see what other people are doing this week.

There is a book that came out in July called Great Inspirations By A Few Great Kids.

Many of the young authors are from my church. It is part of The Cookie Movement.

The book contains a collection of simple statements, poems, vignettes, and philosophical maunderings by children from throughout the nation. Many of these youngsters attend my church, Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, in Saint Paul, MN. Last Sunday they were asked to stand and be recognized for their contributions.

“Bah. So what?” is the response from some of you. I can hear it echoing down the halls as I write this and you haven’t even said it yet. While the book contains considerable white space, and some concepts that come from other notables with a little spin on them, some of the words are pretty cool. They show a level of thought that most of us don’t attribute to children.

More importantly, these kids come from an inner-city culture that scorns intellectual prowess. Being smart isn’t part of the culture, and it costs these kids to come out as writers. I’m proud of them for doing this work. It’s a huge leap into an intellectual world where I welcome them as future superstars. If I’d been in an anthology at age 6 who knows what would have happened in my life. I went out of my way to collect as many autographs as possible before I left the church that morning.

We, all adults, need to encourage children to stretch not just their muscles, but their minds. That young writer in your house might just do a paragraph or a short story, but that’s huge in today’s video culture. Spend the time to build them up – before society tries to knock them down.

My hat is off to the children who worked on this book, and to Trina Dawkins Patterson who collected their work. Good job!

Now, to get them all to buy my book when it’s published…