I had a student like this some years ago. He fought us tooth and nail through his freshman, sophomore and junior years. Sometime between his junior and senior year he had a revelation. Right before the start of school, he made it a point to contact each of his former teachers and tell us that he'd finally figured out we weren't trying to insult, belittle or demean him and in fact had been on his side the whole time. He apologized, and it was clearly sincere. He went to work with a vengeance, and ended up doing well enough his senior year that he made it into Georgetown.
Every so often, we mean old sacks of shit get to see something that reminds us why we keep trying.
One of the tricks is that to inspire someone will often feel like being a mean old sack of shit. Pushing someone isn't comfortable, for either party often enough.
Not to say that all are trying to inspire, just that it can be difficult to distinguish on the receiving end sometimes.
The world is a mean old sack of shit, and most, if not all, of the most valuable lessons I've learned in life came in the form of a boot kicking me in the ass.
That being said, this little bastard better stay off my lawn.
Maybe it's just me, but the older I get, the more I find myself on the side of the "mean" adults in kids movies. Like one time I came across some movie that had Chevy Chase trying to plow the snow off the streets and kids were pissed off because they would have to go back to school. Let Chevy do his job, damn it!
And kids are never like Captain Kirk and make the turnaround and do something good with their second (and third) chances. Most of them are just mean little sacks of shit looking to take advantage of the Captain Pikes of the world.
It's not like the Kirk-Pike relationship is realistic. Kirk is a juvenile delinquent with this magic, hidden power to save the universe no-one but Pike can see. In real life juvenile delinquents don't have that. In the original Star Trek Kirk was portrayed more realistically. He was Starfleet's youngest captain at age 30-something, not 18. He got command through hard work and dedication, not through some magic, innate talent the rest of the world plain doesn't have. And even then the original Kirk was a fallible man who made mistakes. The first Star Trek movie was about his midlife crisis, not him punching aliens.
In short, the original Star Trek mirrored reality. When I look at this comic, I don't see a kid having a heartbreaking realization about life. I see a kid who is hobbled by Hollywood's shitty culture of universal exceptionalism that glosses over the fact that real achievement requires real effort.
I have no counter-claim to his argument.
ReplyDeletePerhaps most adults are like Captain Pike and kids like him just don't have any greatness in them to inspire.
DeleteI had a student like this some years ago. He fought us tooth and nail through his freshman, sophomore and junior years. Sometime between his junior and senior year he had a revelation. Right before the start of school, he made it a point to contact each of his former teachers and tell us that he'd finally figured out we weren't trying to insult, belittle or demean him and in fact had been on his side the whole time. He apologized, and it was clearly sincere. He went to work with a vengeance, and ended up doing well enough his senior year that he made it into Georgetown.
ReplyDeleteEvery so often, we mean old sacks of shit get to see something that reminds us why we keep trying.
This is something that been bothering me for awhile.
ReplyDeleteI'm in my mid 20s now and i see the way parent, teachers and other various "grown ups" treat kids. Hell, I catch myself doing it.
This kids is right. We need more unconditional love and genuine leadership.
And now I'm sad
One of the tricks is that to inspire someone will often feel like being a mean old sack of shit. Pushing someone isn't comfortable, for either party often enough.
DeleteNot to say that all are trying to inspire, just that it can be difficult to distinguish on the receiving end sometimes.
The world is a mean old sack of shit, and most, if not all, of the most valuable lessons I've learned in life came in the form of a boot kicking me in the ass.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, this little bastard better stay off my lawn.
Maybe it's just me, but the older I get, the more I find myself on the side of the "mean" adults in kids movies. Like one time I came across some movie that had Chevy Chase trying to plow the snow off the streets and kids were pissed off because they would have to go back to school. Let Chevy do his job, damn it!
ReplyDeleteAnd kids are never like Captain Kirk and make the turnaround and do something good with their second (and third) chances. Most of them are just mean little sacks of shit looking to take advantage of the Captain Pikes of the world.
ReplyDeleteI'd bet that this kid just got detention for something that was totally his fault.
ReplyDeleteThis thread of reactions is depressing :-/
ReplyDeleteAnd grownups never roll around in a chair and go “beep boop.”
ReplyDeleteIt's not like the Kirk-Pike relationship is realistic. Kirk is a juvenile delinquent with this magic, hidden power to save the universe no-one but Pike can see. In real life juvenile delinquents don't have that. In the original Star Trek Kirk was portrayed more realistically. He was Starfleet's youngest captain at age 30-something, not 18. He got command through hard work and dedication, not through some magic, innate talent the rest of the world plain doesn't have. And even then the original Kirk was a fallible man who made mistakes. The first Star Trek movie was about his midlife crisis, not him punching aliens.
ReplyDeleteIn short, the original Star Trek mirrored reality. When I look at this comic, I don't see a kid having a heartbreaking realization about life. I see a kid who is hobbled by Hollywood's shitty culture of universal exceptionalism that glosses over the fact that real achievement requires real effort.