THE ART OF DISCOVERY
shirt and swung him around, letting go right at the edge of the hill that led from the sidewalk of the school down to the basketball courts. The other boy fell and rolled half-way down the hill. The crowd was surprised by the burst of energy from the “weak one.” They couldn’t believe it! Just then, a teacher rounded the corner and kids started scattering. The young boy escaped undetected.
Something in him changed that day. He discovered he didn’t have to take the abuse. He could stand up for himself. And, the perspective of the other kids changed toward him that day. He didn’t remember many times after that where kids targeted him for ridicule or tried to back him into a corner to fight him. He was still not the “popular” kid, but at least he was not verbally abused and picked on anymore.
He Is More Than What Others Said about Him
Being twelve-years-old was one of the most confusing times in the boy’s life. Puberty. His mom invited kids from his class to his house for a surprise birthday party. He had not developed many close friendships with these kids, and even though he loved the party, he felt incredibly awkward around the other kids.
Also, during that same year, he discovered that dating girls was a way to make him feel good about himself. He dated one for seven months until she broke up with him on a yellow piece of paper with red handwriting. It simply said, “I don’t want to go out with you anymore.”
Middle school came around, and another young man began to pick on him in music class. After class was over, another burst of energy hit him, and he punched him in the chest knocking him over the chair behind him. He felt horrible after it had happened but also felt a little pride in the fact that he was more than what others said about him.
Embracing Pariah-hood
In high school, he was invited to a young woman’s fifteenth birthday party where there was dancing. Because of his church’s belief against dancing, he acted like he was hurt so he didn’t have to dance. He sat on the sidelines as people came over to ask him if he was okay.
As a freshman, he was instantly recognized as the younger brother of the senior. He found it easy to develop relationships with others and never felt satisfied sticking to one group of people. Perhaps it was because he knew what it was like to be the outcast. He made friends in all types of cliques, gathering around himself others who struggled the same as he did. He had a great group of friends, and they spent a lot of time together.