McHugh's Miscellany - Time to rewire the great optimism of youthful thinking this Christmas

With all the terrible images that are a constant reminder of everything, but the spirit of Christmas in recent years, it probably is time to get back to basics.

For many, it has been a tough few years and to be fair, many of those who got the stuffing kicked out of them because of the Covid pandemic are still trying to catch their breath - in every sense of the word.

It is hard to watch the shenanigans of Cop 23, Cop 28 or whatever diplomatic terminology is used in Dubai, where once again it is a case of Cop Out rather than Cop On regarding tackling Climate Change.

Some form of words have been cobbled together, and then it will be just that - words!

No more than being bent on destroying ourselves through violence war and hatred, we are passing on the sins of the present and past in refusing to address climate change, to future generations who will pay for it with their lives.

Maybe it is already too late and we are condemned to repeating a self fulfilling prophecy.

For in truth it all boils down to the shillings and pence. That is the reality, that is the sad prognosis, when rich countries will “only take one for the team” on paper, rather than in practice.

Russia and Ukraine, Israel and the Palentinians, Republicans and Democrats, the world is hating others with a vengeance that is a clear indicator that even short passages of time, erase collective memories and allow the repetition of history, at its most destructive.

It was getting to the stage, when I genuinely felt that optimism was heading towards oblivion.

Then at this week’s meeting of the December meeting of Donegal Municipal District meeting, a presentation was made by a number of young people from the Donegal Comhairle na nÓg.

For those who do not know about Comhairle na nÓg, they are local youth councils that give young people between the ages of 12 and 18 a voice on the development of local policies and services.

They are the recognised national structure for participation by children and young people in decision-making.

Two things struck me about the young contributors. Their ability to get the senior politicians to listen with an intensity that you rarely see at council meetings today, but as was remarked later by each individual county councillors present, what captivated many was the articulate and erudite nature in which they made their presentation.

For if it gladdened the heart of all those present, it also copper fastened that there is hope out there and it is not the windbags of Dubai, but the windchimes of the freshness of youth in every front porch in Ireland.

The vitality and optimisms of our younger people in Donegal, will be our saviours. We need not worry about them.

They see the challenges today, greater than anyone else from the importance of mental health to the dangers of vaping. They were fantastic.

It brought me back many moons ago, to a secondary school teacher, Sean ‘Doc’ Daly who taught in the old De La Salle College in Ballyshannon, who was by then domiciled in Cliffoney in north Sligo and had the fiery passion of his native Kerry.

Today, he would be described as old school. We took great umbrage one day, when he suggested that we had a ring of the “ignorance of youth” about us.

“Ah, Mr McHugh, don’t give me that look. The ignorance of youth is one of life's great gifts. It means you are halfway through a problem, before you realise that there is one and by that stage, you are already halfway to solving it.”

Decades later, I still recall those words of wisdom and then on Tuesday night, I was reminded of it again, when I watched young students from Magh Ene College in Bundoran performing the first night of their school music, ‘Bring it On’.

It was a memorable performance, full of joy, happiness and creativity, no problems insurmountable, no mountains that could not be climbed, no barriers that could not be broken.

It swept me back to my own teenage years and that wonderful sense of optimism that is the essence and lifeblood of those years.

And then I thought of Christmas and the need to get back to the basics, and our youthful optimism that is needed now more than ever.

And knowing that the problems of today are already being half way solved by our greatest legacy and treasure - our young people.

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