School Days

Reeling from an emotionally upsetting day last Thursday, tears streaked my cheeks as I peddled an exercise bike at the Y later that afternoon.  Debussy cranked full in the earphones, baby blue beats four dollars at the thrift store, and some upper body work on weight training machines had me feeling better by dinner time. 

Also gave me perspective to look past tragedy and appreciate one of the sweetest moments that ever happened to me in a school that day.  Couldn't begin to tell the story of this one kid.  Wiry little guy, weighs all of a hundred pounds in the ninth grade, pants impossibly low, spotless Nike's that he tosses into his back pack when he runs from the police.  Huge upset that resulted in a fight at the end of the day because he stepped in some gum.

When I got back from lunch this kid was hanging out on his own, waiting to pick up his stuff.  In class he only shouts, para with the patience of Job quietly reminds him to tone it down.  He ignores.  As I unlocked the door he said in a quiet voice, if any of those other boys disrespect you just tell me and I'll beat their asses.

That put a little tear in the corner of my eye too.