Sunday, July 13, 2008

This is...What gives me goosebumps and scrambles my brain.

Many thanks go to Flightless Boyds for this weeks..."This Is" subjects. Notice the "s"? Yes, this week we have two subjects we can write about so here I go.
Subject 1: This is ... what gives me goosebumps. (Can be good or bad goosebumps)
Real stories of real people who "trusted their gut instinct" give me goosebumps. It's good goosebumps but they raise the hair on my arms and on the back of my neck nevertheless.
Two weeks ago I was speaking to a woman who has a daughter I'll call Mary. Mary was a teacher. A few years ago, she was teaching in a high school whose students were very tough, rough and bad. These kids came from deprived backgrounds and most lacked social graces of any kind. Mary taught a "special education" class that was, for the most part, where problem students were dumped. Most of these kids were not stupid, didn't have learning disabilities and except for their life circumstances, would have been in regular classes. They came from low income families, most on welfare, most with one or both parents who were alcoholics or drug users. Some fathers gang members and some bikers. Some mother's who worked on the streets. These kids came from the worst possible backgrounds. The majority of them had "life" disabilities. The students were so threatening at times that the vice principal or principal would spend part of each day in the classroom to ensure that no problems arose. After a rough start of the year, the classroom started to settle and most of the kids started turning their attitudes and behaviour towards a more positive position. In the second half of the year, conversation in the class found the students saying things like, "I hate him/her", "I hate them so much". Mary was appalled at the words being used and told the students that is wasn't appropriate to use the term "hate" towards another human being. That they should try to accept people as they were and tolerate their differences. At that, one of the boys that she had had major problems with at the beginning of the year, spoke up and said, "Well Miss Teacher, you hate me and Joey, so what does that make you? Joey verbally agreed with what his friend had just said. Mary was upset that the two boys in question felt that way about her. She trusted her "gut instinct" and decided to call them on the statement that was made. She explained to them both that she did not "hate" them, but that she did "hate" the way they acted in the first part of the year. Mary went on to say that she was very pleased with how well both of them were doing now in class. She again reiterated how she had never hated them but just their previous behaviour. A discussion ensued with the whole class giving their opinions and the class ended on a very positive note. Both of the boys were in good humour when the class was over and each of them made a point of saying goodbye to the teacher on their way out of the room. The very next morning the principal made the announcement that the two boys had been killed in a car accident the previous evening. Mary was, of course, shocked and saddened at the death of the two boys. She spoke to her mother that evening and said that she was so glad and thankful that she trusted her "gut instinct" and discussed with the boys, their wrong idea of her opinion of them when the subject came up. If I had read this story I would have thought it was a work of fiction. I know it wasn't.
Fact is, in truth, stranger and scarier than fiction. This is what gives me goosebumps.
Subject 2: This is ... what scrambles my brain when I try to understand it.
This would include anything technical, Computers, the 4 Remote Controls that we have in the family room, Instruction books, the DVD player, Math of any kind, D.I.Y books, and most of all...... Men. All of this is what scrambles my brain when I try to understand it.

1 comment:

Gingham Skies said...

All of the above scramble my brain too mom!! All of those remotes... ARGH!

That is truly an amazing story!!