Hooligans without attitude

Yesterday was run around day and get some errands done. Amidst it all Trent and I had a lunch date. Just him and I. I miss my lunch dates... Joseph and I used to have them all the time. Well, yesterday it was Trent and I. We head into the fast food joint to spend some time together. As we sit there discussing things in toddler language I looked up and saw a table full of boys around the age of 13 i'd say. I guess my first thought was "hooligans". These days all you hear is how disrespectful young people are, with all the crime, theft, graffiti and miscellaneous incidents you tend to just see the bad things that they are up to these days. I have to wonder if we as a society are to blame that we don't spend more time as a whole praising their right doings, as we do punishing all of their wrong doings. Isn't that the oldest trick in the book, positive reinforcement? I too fail and assumed off the bat that this table full of young men were up to no good. But, people never cease to amaze me. As Trent and I were eating these young men piled up there trash and took it over to the garbage...That alone is impressive. But, one guy spilled his drink a little down the front of the garbage can and it puddled up on the floor. Most people, young and old would probably just walked away from thinking "they'll get that when they mop". But this young man walked all the way over to the condiment counter, got some napkins and returned to the trash bin to clean up the spill. I was impressed. He could have easily just left it and yuk yuked off with his friends. But he didn't. If I knew his mother i'd call her to praise him. I guess it was a reminder that there is some good in everyone.