2ndchance

Footnote

You can find an informative press release here from a mental health monitoring organization.  It speaks about the quality of the Sage Walk program, differentiates it from a bootcamp, and makes it clear that television distorts the actual therapeutic process. It is a concise, short, body of information, which should help everyone understand how these programs actually work.  Read it.

Guessing game

Taking up a friend's challenge, I'm going to guess what happened in last night's episode before I talk with anyone or try to read any reviews.  It'll have to be somewhat vague and short, but here goes.

The remaining six teenagers will each be dealing in different ways with not going home.  There will be some sort of group challenge which will be necessary to draw out the latent emotions.  Then there will be a unique, wilderness-centered celebration of Christmas.  Gifts given will either be handmade, or personal items.

Unexpected Reality

My own reality got me tonight.  I missed the finale of 'Brat Camp'.  My room-mate had free passes to a pre-showing of The Cave. (warning dial up. . .link shows a preview).  The radio station people who were sponsoring the free showing had to do their thing.  The theater was on the other side of town.  Anyway, you get the picture.  I made it back to my house in time to see the beginning of 'Lost'.  Crap.  I totally thought I could make it home in time when I agreed to go out to the movies.

The Cave wasn't too bad until about half-way through.  Then it got all hokey/cheesy/predictable and finished on a rather lame note.  If you can get a free pass, go to see it.  Otherwise, just pass.

So now I need to talk to someone who watched Brat Camp tonight.  Or maybe I should just write what I think happened and see how close I come to the reality of the end of this reality show.  Really.

Restored Belief

Day 37.  Tension builds.

Everyone. . .teens and staff is waiting to see if anyone will get to go home for Christmas.  If it were up to me, nobody would go home, but then again I can be mean.

Seriously.  All nine of these kids have a long way to go before they are ready to go home.  Fortunately, it isn't up to me.  heh.

Away from Home Alone part 2

Here is a link to part one.  Jebus, I can't believe it took me so long to finish this.

As the third day of the solo experience arrives, each of the bratcampers starts breaking down.  With nobody around to bounce off of (with the exception, apparently, of the camera operators), there is nothing left to do except to plumb the depths of their own issues.

Several small, amazing things happen.

Bratcamp bulletin

We interrupt the regular bratcamp commentary with a breaking bulletin.

Well surprise surprise.  These kinds of kids get into trouble and not all of them respond to programs and people trying to turn them around.  This situation involving Isaiah wouldn't even have made it to national news if he hadn't been on TV.  The sheriff involved with this case had this to say:

"These kids had some real serious issues that needed to be dealt with in a long-term process, not a multiweek TV program for entertainment," Pazin said.

He's right, but that doesn't negate the good work done by the staff of Sagewalk.  It just means that these particular kids are difficult to reach.  The very best programs can't get through to all of them.

Part 2 coming tomorrow.

Away from Home Alone, part 1

{There was way too much going on in this past episode of Brat Camp to fit into one entry.  So there will be two parts to this blurb.}

Not everyone can handle being alone in the wilderness.  The absence of human contact along with the absence of modern technological distractions, means that you are left to deal with your own thoughts/fears/dreams.  There is no escape.  Which makes it an excellent therapeutic tool for emotionally/behaviorally challenged teenagers.

Our bratcamp kids had three days all to themselves.

It only takes a spark

self-es·teem (slf-stm)
n.

Pride in oneself; self-respect.

For various reasons, most if not all of the bratcampers have low opinions of themselves.  A few have been victims of abuse; several have cognitive/emotional challenges; and all of them have the usual teenage angst.  Engage their self-worth and gear it up to a higher level. . .that is one of the prime mandates of SageWalk staff.

Hiking is a metaphor

In the second installment of the new ABC series Brat Camp, everyone is pushing buttons.  The kids are testing limits and pushing staff's buttons, other kid's buttons, and their own buttons.  The staff are using the program structure to push the kids' buttons.  While it may seem like a bad idea to actually put pressure on sensitive areas with troubled kids, it can be exactly the correct thing to do. 

When people get pushed to their limits, they tend to get more 'real'. . . .both in honesty and in vulnerability.  The trick for adult staff with these kinds of kids is to know when to keep up the pressure and when to lay off.  I was impressed tonight that the show was honest enough to present the staff expressing some moments of doubt with each other as to their ability to maintain control of the group.

Oh, and Fire Shaper rules.

that dog just might hunt

Just when I thought I was totally sick of reality shows, including 'fake' reality shows like 'Lost', this premiered last night.  Well I guess there are marketing people at abc who know people like me exist. . . .along with frazzled parents and tons of troubled kids.

Still don't like 'reality' shows; but I'll give this show a go for a spell.