Junior high is probably the worst time in young people's lives. Bodies are
changing in ways they never thought possible, and they spend most of their time
trying to fit into a mold that peers have formed for them. Gone are the days of
Elmer's glue, crayons, and the tiny scissors with the rounded edges. (Yes, they
are trusted with the sharp-edged scissors in junior high.) From here on out,
they have their own lockers, carry their books to each class, and start making
their own decisions about which classes to take.
What I remember most about junior high, however, was the incredible pain and
heartache that students inflicted on one another with their words and actions.
There were students who seemed to have it all together, and made those around
them feel as if they didn't measure up. It wasn't until much later that I
learned that those who ripped on others suffered from a terrible self-image, so
in order to make themselves feel better, they tore others down. In fact, they
were usually a totally different person from the one they presented to the
outside world.
I didn't have the best self-image in junior high, and there were two things that
I fell back on to be accepted: athletics and humor. I have always been a decent
athlete, which brought a certain confidence and comfort level in my life, and I
have always been able to make people laugh. At times the laughter came at
another's expense, unfortunately, and most times I didn't fully realize what I
was doing to the self-images of those around me, particularly one classmate of
mine.
Her name was Tracy and she had a crush on me. Instead of nicely letting her know
that I wasn't interested in her, I got caught up in trying to be funny, with her
being the brunt of my jokes. I am ashamed now to think of how I treated her in
seventh grade. I went out of my way to make things miserable for her. I made up
songs about her, and even wrote short stories in which I had to save the world
from Tracy the evil villain.
That all changed about half way through the year, however. Mr. Greer, my
physical education teacher, came up to me one day.
"Hey, Mike, you got a second?"
"Sure, Mr. Greer!" I said. Everybody loved Mr. Greer, and I looked up to him
like a father.
"Mike, I heard a rumor that you were going around picking on Tracy?" He paused
and looked me straight in the eye. It seemed like an eternity before he
continued. "You know what I told the person I heard that from? I told them it
couldn't possibly be true. The Mike Powers I know would never treat another
person like that. Especially a young lady."
I gulped, but said nothing.
He gently put his hand on my shoulder and said, "I just thought you should know
that." Then he turned and walked away without a backward glance, leaving me to
my thoughts.
That very day I stopped picking on Tracy.
I knew that the rumor was true, and that I had let my role-model down by my
actions. More importantly, though, it made me realize how badly I must have hurt
this girl and others for whom I had made life difficult.
It was probably a couple of months later before I fully realized the incredible
way in which Mr. Greer had handled the problem. He not only made me realize the
seriousness of my actions, but he did it in a way that helped me to save some of
my pride. My respect and love for him grew even stronger after that.
I don't think I ever apologized to Tracy for my hurtful words and actions. She
moved away the next year, and I never saw her again. While I was very immature
as a seventh grader, I still should have known better. In fact, I did know
better, but it took the wisdom of my favorite teacher to bring it out into the
light.
So, Tracy, if you're out there, I am truly sorry for the way that I treated you,
and I ask for your forgiveness--something I should have done eighteen years ago.
Michael T. Powers Thunder27@aol.com
Copyright © 2000 by Michael T. Powers, All rights reserved
Michael is happily married to his high school sweetheart Kristi, and has two
young boys. He is an author, speaker, business owner, and founder of "Straight
From the Heart," a free daily E-zine that features inspirational and uplifting
stories, often by published writers. To subscribe send an email to:
Thunder27@aol.com or visit: Straight From the Heart
http://www.StraightFromTheHeartList.com
The above story is from Michael's new book: Straight From the Heart: "A
Celebration of Life." To read more of his stories or to get your own autographed
copy, visit his web site at:
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com/
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