I'm a substitute teacher. I fill in for kindergarten teachers all the way up to AP Calculus teachers. I love the little ones, but I find it weird being around teenagers. I used to think I loved teens and wanted to spend the rest of my life working with at-risk youth. Maybe I'm too far attached from them now that I'm in my thirties, because my tolerance has certainly waned. I now find most teenagers selfish, disrespectful, and annoying. Forgive me, all you brilliant, self-assured, and kind teenagers, who actually look me in the eye, smile, and are friendly to others. You are in the blessed minority.
The other week I met one of these minority teens who greeted me with a smile and "hello" in the early morning of a first period English class. Beyond that, this young man actually came up to me at the end of the class to shake my hand (shake my hand?!), ask my name, and thank me for coming in. And believe me when I tell you this gesture was in total sincerity.
I have since seen Mike (not his real name) three other times when I was back at his high school to sub. I saw him again today. The class I was subbing in had a guest speaker, and I watched Mike greet our guest with the same sincerity and friendliness he had also afforded me. This maturity is just so rare!
I've got to be honest. Mike is not the kind of kid I would expect to have such poise and confidence. He has a hearing impairment that has caused his speech to be difficult to understand. He isn't built like an athlete, and he has a noticeable scar on his body. He's actually the kind of kid you would expect to be withdrawn, severely self-conscious, and made-fun-of.
We had a few minutes to talk at the end of art class. Truth be told, Mike has been made-fun-of. I discovered that he is new to the district as of this year. He moved in with his grandparents so he could transfer districts. The district he attended for most of his life was no longer safe for him. He said he had been bullied, and he had taken enough. And then in an honest and humble voice, Mike said, "You see, I'm not like most boys. I don't like girls; I like guys."
I'm not sure where Mike's inner-strength has come from, but today Mike made my hero's list. A bullied gay young man with a physical disability and a strong lisp has learned to walk with his head held high, his smile broad, and his handshake warm. Yeah, he's an everyday hero.
