Encouragement

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I can still hear my grandmother directing me in that preachy grandmother tone, "These are the best years of your life." I got this much needed injection of wisdom many times during my grade school days. And I suppose that it was true, to a point. There were no bills, no responsibilities. But unlike so many people who longingly wish for days gone by, I would never relive my childhood. Going through it once was more than enough for me. And were it not for a few caring teachers whose paths I crossed, I don't know how things would have turned out for me.

Popularity wasn't my strong suit. I tried to be nice, friendly, share with others,etc. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't fit in with the other kids. I'm sure that being the fat kid didn't enhance my image. We're talking the mid 1970's-- before 2 out of every 3 kids are obese like the stats show today. There were a few of us fatties, but not many. For a large part of my gradeschool years I was shunned by the majority of my classmates. And if I wasn't being shunned, I was being picked on.

I don't know how many times a whole crowd of kids, usually older than me, followed me on my way home from school--hitting me, shoving me, throwing me to the ground. Seeing other kids fight over who had to sit by me and getting valentines with something nasty written in them always did wonders for my self esteem. In 3rd grade I just about got expelled from school for fighting. You'd think that I would have started at least one of dozens of scraps I was in. You know, I'm 38 years old and at this very instant I could cry when I recall some of this stuff. I was so ashamed of what went on at school that I never told my parents.

Enter a few good teachers. My teachers listened when I cried about what other kids did to me. They told me not to believe what other kids said. They encouraged me to continue writing and to stay involved with choir and sports. I'm forever grateful to a few caring teachers who used what power they had to influence my life and encouraged me to keep learning, growing and pursuing my dreams.

At a very impressionable time in my life, they were my anchors, my lifelines. I hope I can be the same for someone else someday. Maybe I already have been but I just don't know it yet.

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