So I attended my very first Quinceanera the other day in South Florida, home of my world champion Miami Heat! A Quinceanera, sometimes called Fiesta de Quince Años, Fiesta de Quinceañera, Quince Años or simply Quince, is the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday in Latin American communities. This birthday is particularly celebrated as it marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood.The celebration varies significantly across countries; some take on more religious overtones than others. But it was amazing to see the transformation of a friend’s daughter from a cute eight-year-old to a young woman. Our young people could use something like this. More on this after the top 20.Soaring like Lebron James over defenders to #1 is Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jespen. This has to be the cutest song around. It even beats Justin Bieber’s tiring and somewhat played out cute little songs. Well maybe I’m biased because the track is by a female, but as usual I digress. Improving to #2 is Wild Ones by Flo Rida featuring Sia, This is a high-energy track that fills dance floors and makes you sing along.Improving to #3 is Birthday Cake by Rihanna and Chris Brown. This would have to be my favourite hip hop track at the moment. The beat is just awesome and anything with Rihanna and Chris Brown collaborating is simply going to be a hit.Falling to #4 is Starships by Nikki Minaj. Falling to #5 is Glad You Came, one of the hottest pop/dance tracks on the planet, by The Wanted. Improving to #6 is Rihanna’s other hit, Where Have You Been?, continued excellence from the Queen of Pop. Slipping to #7 this week is Boyfriend by Justin Bieber.On the way up at #8 is Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia, a former essential new dance tune. Falling to #9 it’s Give Me All Your Luvin’ by Madonna featuring Nikki Minaj and MIA. Tumbling to #10 is Dance Again by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull. Down to #11 is the hot dance track by Chris Brown and Rihanna, Turn Up The Music.Up to #12 is Climax by Usher, a previous essential new tune, which comes in a few mixes to satisfy everyone. Tumbling to #13 is The Motto by Drake featuring L’il Wayne. Falling to #14 is Take Care by Rihanna and Drake.Improving to #15 is Cheater’s Prayer by Christopher Martin. Up to #16 is the crossover dancehall hit She Doesn’t Mind by Sean Paul. On the way up to #17 is Link Up by Destra, a soca hit.International Love by Pitbull featuring Chris Brown falls to #18. Slipping to #19 is Someone Like You by Adele. Holding onto enjoy its final week in the top 20, at #20, is the up-tempo dance hit Turn Me On by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj.Now back to this week’s topic — Quinceaneras for our young women and something like it for our young men. The Quince I attended involved spiritual and contemporary elements. The young lady was dressed up like a princess; it was almost like a dress rehearsal for her wedding day. The event was a celebration of her ancestors, her heritage, her family. Family and friends flew and drove in from near and far.I must have cried a bucket of tears listening to the many complimentary things that were said about the young lady and then, which really opened the tear ducts, things she said about others for the manner in which they had impacted her life and what they therefore meant to her.This builds self-confidence, awareness, a sense of self, self-esteem, a knowledge and confidence that one stands on the shoulders of giants in one’s history. This kind of experience is what makes leaders, high achievers, law-abiding citizens, movers and shakers in the world.But it requires a strong family, because without a strong family there can and will be no rite of passage, no legacy to celebrate, no giants to look back upon for guidance, wisdom, knowledge, understanding and more importantly, example.We need something like this for Bermudian women. We used to have the Debutantes’ Ball but that was for older girls and boys would escort them. A prom at school is not enough as it doesn’t celebrate each individual the way a Quinceanera does.We don’t need to reinvent the wheel; we can still call it a Quince and just have it for young girls at the age of 15. This kind of celebration of a young lady will reduce teenage pregnancy because it will cause young ladies to focus on something other than boys and show them all that the world and life have to offer them. The young ladies who have Quinces or this type of familial involvement usually go to college and end up being high achievers.In the Jewish Community they have bar mitzvahs which serve a similar purpose and for Christians sometimes there is Confirmation, but, having seen Confirmations, I can assure you that they are nothing like a well scripted and executed Quince.Now the men. We need something like this for our young males, because many of them are like lost boys. In some families young boys are given the kind of kingly guidance and strong example by older men, in the form of involved fathers, uncles, godfathers, grandfathers and village fathers. Where this does not happen, men are highly likely to end up involved in crime and antisocial behaviour.Again, in Christian families there are confirmations and even my church is running confirmation classes; but none of this tops what I saw at a Quince. We too must do something for our young teens. Otherwise many of them will continue to wander through life aimlessly, with no sense of self, no sense of purpose, no knowledge of who they are, where they came from, where they are going or to what stirring heights they can reach. Peace…………………….DJLT.