Ever take a paper towel roll and turn it into a telescope? How about a shoe box into a diorama? Ever looked at a kid and wondered what they’d grow up to be? With three kids of my own, I’ve done all three of these things. I know thousands, perhaps millions, of other families have done the same. Sometimes, though, we have our blinders on.

We limit ourselves and what we’ll do. We fail to think creatively or we focus so heavily on the financial future that we forget about fun.

Boys & Girls Club 2011 -- by Aimee Laine

Kids though … they don’t work with blinders on. They’re open to possibilities. Ask one kid what they want to be when they grow up and he’ll say, “Doctor!” Ask another and she’ll say, “Dancer!”

This year, for the fourth(?) year in a row, I’ve photographed the kids of the Wake County Boys & Girls Clubs for the annual report. In fact, my photographs show up on their website (see link above!). This is always a fun experience for me.

First, I get to meet a whole new batch of possibilities. Ones who’ll smile. Ones who’ll make me work for that smile. Others that will do just about anything I make them do, from wearing funny hats, to posing with their serious faces to posing with their silliest possible face. You see? Kids don’t limit themselves. They are willing to experience life because they aren’t thinking about all the possible pitfalls. They just want to experience.

Boys & Girls Club 2011 -- by Aimee Laine

And when we, the adults, let them do that? The world opens right up to them. This year, the Boys & Girls Club’s motto is about the future. For 2 hours, we photographed about 40 kids all playing a role. What role? That depended on what sign they got. Doctor. Teacher. Lawyer. Artist. It didn’t really matter because they have their future ahead of themselves and that’s exactly where they need to focus. Be whatever they want to be. All kids need this opportunity and the boys and girls clubs provide it. A non-gender, non-race, non-age specific limitations. Anyone can participate and everyone does. No one looks any different than another.

Boys & Girls Club 2011 -- by Aimee Laine

They all have the same future …. a positive one.

So what word defines a kid?

Possibility.

What organizations do you support simply because of what they give back to the world? Share in the comments!

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Buy it at: local bookstore or Amazon Barnes & Noble AllRomance BooksOnBoard	Coming 12/1/2011!	Coming 3/1/2012!