A Trusted Older Friend Whose Got Your Back
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Every young person needs an older person in his or her life. Boys especially need older men to support them. Unfortunately, nowadays it isn't easy for this to happen. Teenagers have been taught to run the other way when an older person even smiles at them. This is really unfortunate because there are many older people who would love to mentor a younger person.
I was a very lucky teen. My mentor was an unmarried brother of a neighbor. We would sit on his front porch for hours and he would listen to my fears, concerns, thoughts and dreams. He never told me what to do but he helped me look at all sides of an issue and when I got up to leave, I knew what I was going to do. Imagine, me making my own decisions!
You see, a mentor is the only person in your life who is not an authority figure. Every other adult - parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, coaches, ministers and other adults are all telling you what to do. A mentor listens to you and helps you figure out what you want to do. After all, you should be in charge of you.
Now the best way to find a mentor is to ask your parents to recommend a friend or maybe a buddy's dad or it could be a member of your church or anyone else you know and trust. In the beginning only meet in public - at the coffee shop or mall or park. This is to protect both you and your mentor from any disparaging remarks. Once the trust is established, you can choose where to meet.
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