Military
kids are great! The ones that live over here in Europe are part of a group
known as third culture kids because they move with their families around the
globe and often feel like they don't have a definitive place to call home. Many
of these kids are part of military families and others have families who are employed
by the U.S. Government. When asked where they are from, they will then respond
with a question like "Do you mean where I was born?" or "Do you
mean where we were last stationed?" It is a hard question for them to
answer easily!
Today,
looking over the great group of kids that are part of this high school golf
tournament, I realized that they are all third culture kids!
Traveling
is a way of life for them. In fact, the golfers in this tournament came to
germany from as far as england, the Netherlands, Bahrain and multiple locations
in germany that involved many hours of driving just to get to the golf course.
But, for a high school team in the Dept. of Defense Schools, it is normal to
travel a big distance to compete. Our schools are spread out around the region at
Army, Air Force and Navy bases.
These
kids are quick to make friends. My son, for example, is happy to meet other
kids who share his interest in golf since he is the sole golfer for our school.
I've
never seen such a polite and thoughtful group of kids as I've met on this trip
to Germany. In these days of teen culture being looked at with disgust, it is
refreshing to see a group of teens come together to compete against one another
being so friendly, cheering each other on and enjoying their chance to play the
sport they've come to love.
It's a
terrific Thursday here in Wiesbaden!
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