This picture was taken at the Australian Scouts Jamboree, which was held in the Adelaide Hills this year. This scout, Lindsay Webb, was participating in the 'Mud Challenge' which involved crawling through a chilly mud obstacle course.

This he enjoyed so much that he decided to give himself a mud-mask, dipping his face and his entire head under the surface. To me this is the essence of youth. Youths have few inhibitions; they go about their business without worrying about failure, consequences or other people's perceptions of their actions.

This could be regarded as an advantage or as a disadvantage, but could you picture an adult in Lindsay's position? Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned from the youth of today.