This isn’t normal Business Class material, but it clobbered me with its potential for influence.
Actually it screamed at me first. But it was the clobber that compelled me to share it with you.
On the cover of the June 1 issue of People (magazine) is a picture of 18 year old, Bristol Palin on high school graduation day. Dressed in a crimson colored graduation cap and gown and holding a baby. Her baby. Five month old Tripp.
The caption includes this quote from Bristol: “If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex. Trust me. Nobody.”
Flip to page 58, and you’ll find the feature article entitled ‘My Life Comes Second Now’,written by Sandra Sobiera J Westfall. On the first page is this quote from Bristol: “This is hard…I don’t think anyone realized that it really can happen to you – like, in a instant.”
In addition to details about how she is balancing motherhood with teenage-hood, the article includes a few statistics about teenage pregnancy. First, they say it’s ON THE RISE. Second – while Bristol got her high school diploma, the article states that “fewer than half of all girls who become mothers before turning 18 ever get their diplomas. (And fewer than 2% earn a college degree by age 30, according to a 2006 study).”
See what I mean?
Not our normal business topic.
It’s a life topic.
But life has a way of impacting business.
For generations.
We all have different ways of handling the topic of teenage sex.
Of teaching our kids about it.
Or not.
But this issue of People screamed at me from the rack, causing me to take a time out from business as usual to re-visit the way I’m handling (or not handling) the issue of teenage sex. And then clobbered me over the head with its potential for influence – not just at my house – but in all “communities” where it could have an impact.
So I am sharing this information with my teenager and his friends and my friends and colleagues. That includes you – just in case you or someone you know needs a reminder to address or re-address the topic. And/or just in case you or someone you know could use some new attention getting tools –
whether it’s just the facts in this blog post, the entire People article (link below), or just the cover.
It sure got my attention.
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A note of caution: In searching for the link to the article so that I could share it with you, I ran across an opinion that the article about Bristol and her baby glamorizes teen pregnancy. I never would have thought of that. But we all have different filters. So if you do decide to share the article as an attention getting tool, some follow up discussion would be a good idea. So that you can be sure it attracted attention to your intended message.
Here are links to the magazine article and the “glamorous” opinion post:
‘My Life Comes Second Now’ by Sandra Sobiera J Westfall; Photographs by Peter Yang;
PEOPLE, June 1, 2009
copyright 2009 – Jan Bolick, Business Class Inc
