Puppies are cute. This, is CRUCIAL.

Some of you don’t need any context for the subject matter today but many of you will. …Fear not. I won’t forget about you. In fact I promise to back track and provide the necessary context but I’m afraid there is a slight urgency to post this one first.

On February 20th , The Mod.Villians are hosting The 1st ToT.Tillion of 2010: A Formal “A’Flair” for children and families. I am confident it will be a party like no one has experienced to date. …At least not in this particular community. ToT.Tillion is a word I mashed up to illustrate a formal party, or ball being held for all children and/or ToTs, (though all ages are welcome) in which we all show up in our best most fashionable and imaginative wears. Unlike some other kid party places, the objective of this party is to not “dumb down” children while entertaining them at the same time. In other words providing them intelligent fun that can be enjoyed and edu-taining (as opposed to merely tolerated) by parents as well. One of Denver’s top DJ’s will be spinning the hippest kids music ever, a phenomenal vocalist / musician Natasha Renee is creating a special performance for children, as well as a magician, activities, games and Lillia, The Mod.Villian for the Children.

If you’ve not gathered by her name, Lillia stands for all things children. She is similar to, but different from an advocate, she is their voice, a conduit, a go between, the middle man, the liason between the children and adults. She does not merely stand for their causes she listens to them, represents them against the adults and tells them what they have in turn asked her to communicate to them. What we never said was that this letter you are about to read was not a letter. …It was a transmission. …A transmission from the energies of children and other advocates for children from the past, present and future titled: ‘The Children’s List of Demands’.

When this letter was distributed, many did not read it. …Understandably so, it’s long, but it was all information that was requested be shared so we still took the chance and as always figured the ones that were ready would read and those that were not well,……wouldn’t and that’s okay too. This letter was a call to action. Not a letter asking people to help US start these projects but asking THEM to start these projects throughout the community however they wanted to -but making it their own, independent of The ModVillians.

A select few read it and were in support, while some others sent back some “Amens!” and others were ready to begin the work. But then there was a large group of people that thought it was “cute”. They disregarded the fact that this letter was not some fictional story, not a way to market an idea, a transmission. …Messages from places unknown transmitted to the here and now, to the living. Messages demanding our accountability to our children in a not so typical way {at least as it relates to THIS community}. I provide this introduction to say this: The letter was not meant to be cute people nor should it be absorbed that way. If anything it should be absorbed as crucial. The letter was not from us, the letter was not from Lillia, we just knew that you needed it delivered in “digestible package”. …But I’m not sure that worked. The letter was real. I am publishing this letter again here. Perhaps I should have titled it: “The Spirits List of Demands FOR the Children Give these MF*ers WhatThey Want or else they will keep Hounding me / us with their feet on my neck day and night, day and night, day and night until the work is done!!!!”.

…How you think they woulda liked them apples?

………… Without further delay, here is the letter and may I say in advance THANK YOU for reading, YOU ROCK and YOU ARE A TROOPER . Hopefully you’ll be around for my “back track” post: ‘The People With Their Feet on My Neck’:

The Children’s List of Demands : I

Words transcribed by ‘Lillia : The ModVillian’ as told to her by the children. . . ModVille, Colorado . . .modvillians@gmail.com .

January 21, 2010

Dear Community,

Sometime ago, back in 2007 I was elected the high honor by the children, as one of their many spokespersons. A spokes person of a different kind but spokes person just the same. As you may have already taken note, I am Lillia The Mod.Villian {pronounced mod.ville.ee.en} for The Children: Meaning I am no different from you only I consider myself a modern day Vaudevillian. A storyteller of sorts utilizing various methods or mediums to communicate with you: the people. Most times these mediums are used as “An Activism” for a cause. In ModVille ‘The Cause’ is: US. My cause is The Children. The Children that are often written off as mere children that are now feeling an urgency to be thought of as individuals for whom decisions are not simply being made for but whom decisions are being made about.

It is I, the youngest Mod.Villian that has been gifted the heavy but crucial task of relaying to you The Children’s periodic list of demands when there are some. …And there will be many. Many of the previous demands have long been lost among the rubble that is “piecefully” becoming our lives. You already know that society is becoming more fragmented by the second and in turn, giving birth to even more fragmented minds, bodies and spirits. So it is with tremendous urgency and sincerity that I come to you now with some very simple requests from The Children: those past, present and future powerful, young lives that are already, who they will be. …Not to mention who we once were. And if you know who you once were I don’t need to tell you the importance of the child mind and child energy. I know these demands may seem strange, but after the experience of reading this letter is over, I’m only asking that you not discredit them. …After all, that will cost you nothing.

The Children have requested we increase our travel time to their world. They have grown tired of merely being accommodated at many of your adult events. They want events all their own and have agreed in turn to make accommodations for you at such functions. They are requesting events for them and about them. They are more than grateful for things like summer camps and after school programs, reading time at the library… Now they want more. This list of demands is not entirely new. The Children still want responsibility and to be busy. They want art, culture, history, knowledge, family stories and of course you. They also want EDUtainment for everyone from the babies to the teenagers that their parents can enjoy with them. They are no longer interested in feeling like entertainment specifically for them is only available in neighborhoods outside of their own. That entertainment may be for children, the problem is that it’s often not about these children. Ultimately the presentation of this list asks that we remain mindful of the fact that we are in fact teachers however, now The Children are demanding our submission as their students.

The Children have requested the following:

A Kwanzaa Play and/or Children’s Theater Group: for them to star in every year written for them and about them that they may “grow up in” and perform every year until the first children that performed it have become adults. …And they want it to be a GOOD one with simple creative costumes that the community comes together to bring to fruition with music and a message.
A Children’s Choir: reminiscent of the Boys Choir of Harlem or Up With People that can teach them skill, discipline, help them discover their passion and most importantly, enable them to begin traveling and seeing the world NOW from a young age so they may begin to understand that the world extends far beyond their back yards but is just as accessible.
A Dance Troupe : of some sort that performs regularly around the city or the neighborhood.
A Film Festival or Series: Where parents and children can come together to watch a short film or episode weekly or monthly for the babies as well as tweens and even teens that allows them to socialize with other children and parents to socialize with other parents. Especially Mothers with young children.
A Baby Book Club/Book Swap: Where books may be read, shared, traded or even discussed. There can be many groups that accommodate various ages from the babies on up.
A Child Friendly Party: That is entertaining for small children and the adults who care for them as well as educational. A party with positive images and formal attire that makes them feel like royalty. That makes their families feel like royalty. Because when we feel like royalty, we act royal. The Children say they want and need to begin socializing and meeting one another now. …Growing up and made aware of one another now. There are important partnerships and friendships that are in need of being formed among them as well as among their parents and families.
A Renaissance School: For them to no longer just participate in the usual arts and crafts but to study the great artists now, learn technique now as well as manners and trades. A school to be held in the summer time or during vacations that introduces them, regardless of age, about writing, painting, drawing, dance, fashion, etiquette, money management and more.

They are asking that we creatively bring these things to life and that these things remain consistent and/or serve as models for others to then expand on as creativity is contagious. Lastly, The Children thought you may express concerns about the financial support that is often required to carry out such activities and asked that I remind you that money is a formality here. These groups can be started among families, in churches, in basements, in apartments, in rooms. It is what comes from them that is most important. They also ask that I remind you these projects are no different from any other in that they too have the potential to grow into a major source of cooperative economics for those that may agree to innovatively take on one or some of the aforementioned demands. ….So long as the intention is not lost. They said that you need not forget that each of you has something you can teach a child though you may not be a “licensed teacher”. …And that even if you do not, you know someone that does: Organize.

On February 20^th we, The Mod.Villians have committed to beginning the process of chipping away at this list with the ‘ToT-Tillion’: A Cotillion of sorts for “little people”. The 2010 Tot-Tillion will celebrate children, imagination, family, individuality and promote confidence, education and of course love. We hope that you will show your support in whatever way you can. Perhaps that means simply sharing this letter with another. If nothing else I’m hopeful that it means you stand in solidarity with our cause and our mission. Perhaps you are thinking this is not relevant to you either because you are not a parent or maybe you don’t come in contact with The Children much. You could not be more wrong. In fact there is not a single soul this list of demands is not relevant to. It is relevant to all of our futures and it is relevant to all of our pasts. Your child self does not leave and The Children will not just appear one day to care for you in your old age. The Children are here now, to care for you now and to begin the process of learning to do so now. …And if you let them, The Children will teach you now but you must believe in them. …Find the strength and power in humility and they will believe in you. We have entrusted too much responsibility to “outsiders” like the school system. Many of these responsibilities they know nothing about and are not equipped to teach simply because they are things that only WE can. And now The Children are holding us accountable for that and will not rest until we comply.

We cannot complain about The Children and expect them be involved and thrive as of a certain age. We must bring them into the world that way: Working. Doing their child work of discovering, learning, teaching, playing, growing, developing, intuiting and especially absorbing. We can no longer try to make our world, their world because we are either too lazy to explore theirs or place too much importance on our own. This is terribly unfair and often creates less than desirable results. It’s time to be accountable to the idea that we must literally create a world(s) that facilitates but protects their growth process. …A world or community that is to children what a greenhouse is to plants. A world that strengthens them until they are ready to be planted firmly in the world elsewhere with strong roots. These tasks ahead should not be looked upon as obligations or inconveniences but rather “permittable escapes”.

Please honor “these people”. They are tired, and often born into the world weary. And that’s wrong. They have given you so much. They give you so much. They want to give you so much more.

The time you have spent reading this letter has been a gift and for it I thank you.