Yesterday, my eldest child finished elementary school. It was certainly different from when I was in school.
Perhaps it's because I hated school a great deal - I always have. I hated being somewhere I didn't want to be, to interact with an oftentimes older grump of a white woman who often would bully the kids simply because she could. Granted that's not entirely accurate - sometimes the teachers were younger, sometimes they were Asian, sometimes they were men.
But I hated it. And overall I was glad it was done.
But it was more than that.
I hated being around assholes and jerk kids. There was always some bully around, and while I myself was never bullied or harassed - I didn't like being around it. I also do not consider myself a bully or harasser, but found myself around friends who did and who encouraged that tendency - something I found I didn't really like.
Maybe it was that I was a brown boy surrounded by largely white kids? I was never popular nor much of an athlete. Indeed, the only times I ever felt good at school was when I did well in class.
How things have changed I would guess.
My eldest was very sad to leave school yesterday. I think in a lot of ways the changes may have been for the better. Kids are still kids, and teachers are still teachers, but there are a lot more kids different racial backgrounds, and often times, multi-racial ones. Harassment still exists, but it's frowned upon, and bullying is something that as far as I know isn't tolerated.
Still a day has come and past. I'm happy my eldest has reached this point in their life. Hopefully in time they'll realize that there's so much more to come in life, and it's all in front.
Ah - to be 12 again.
Perhaps it's because I hated school a great deal - I always have. I hated being somewhere I didn't want to be, to interact with an oftentimes older grump of a white woman who often would bully the kids simply because she could. Granted that's not entirely accurate - sometimes the teachers were younger, sometimes they were Asian, sometimes they were men.
But I hated it. And overall I was glad it was done.
But it was more than that.
I hated being around assholes and jerk kids. There was always some bully around, and while I myself was never bullied or harassed - I didn't like being around it. I also do not consider myself a bully or harasser, but found myself around friends who did and who encouraged that tendency - something I found I didn't really like.
Maybe it was that I was a brown boy surrounded by largely white kids? I was never popular nor much of an athlete. Indeed, the only times I ever felt good at school was when I did well in class.
How things have changed I would guess.
My eldest was very sad to leave school yesterday. I think in a lot of ways the changes may have been for the better. Kids are still kids, and teachers are still teachers, but there are a lot more kids different racial backgrounds, and often times, multi-racial ones. Harassment still exists, but it's frowned upon, and bullying is something that as far as I know isn't tolerated.
Still a day has come and past. I'm happy my eldest has reached this point in their life. Hopefully in time they'll realize that there's so much more to come in life, and it's all in front.
Ah - to be 12 again.
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