|
|
Dear Reader,
I am sitting at my computer today, reading a Times article telling me to write
in a journal. And I think, well, what could I possibly write about my life? It's
so dull, boring. I wake up every morning and go to school. I check my accounts
on three different sites before going to school, and play card games to keep
busy and quiet at lunch. I ride the bus home, sitting in the same seat every
day. I get home, eat a granola bar and drink a can of ginger ale while sitting
at the computer. I eat supper around the same time every night, and then I do
some homework. I always turn on the tube when I study, because it helps me to
concentrate. I do a couple hours of homework and then I go to bed. Only to wake
up 6 hours later, to repeat the same routine. And some days, I begin to tire of
this routine. Yes, my life truly is boring.
But there is one thing I can't stop thinking about tonight. I thought about this
all day, and all last night. One thing that has made me act radically different.
And what could that be? Let's start with yesterday, on the way home from school
in your typical yellow school bus.
Only a week ago, my city received more then 20 inches of snow. It has all melted
since then, and the results are muddy. Mud balls flying through the air, mostly
aimed poorly, only to be followed by a teacher's rude remarks and threats. But
that doesn't stop anyone. We're having fun. (Even though we're filthy.) And it's
not like we're going to need the winter gear we're wearing until next year.
Plenty of time to get it cleaned. And for our actions, we receive garbage bags,
which are to assist us in our clean up of our gigantic playground. Oh well, it's
not like we can play football on our chewed up field anyway.
But my friend, that is only the beginning of my story. Because you'd think we'd
learn not to throw mud balls. And some of us did, but the fact of the matter is
that not everyone got the message.
In the bus, we're all sitting around, picking the mud off our shoes. We're going
to want to wear them inside tomorrow, so we'd better start cleaning now. And mud
is slowly picked off, landing on the floor, until the mud begins to become
something useful. Mud balls. And what could we do with mud balls on the bus?
Throw them out the window of course! This was our chance to get revenge on all
the kids who'd thrown snowballs at our bus. Cracking one window. Soaking us all.
Bruising on girl's entire face. This was even a chance at revenge for the kid
who threw a rock into the bus and sliced open my friend's ear. And what a sweet
revenge it would be.
A handful of projectiles were thrown out the window. Not too big, but shattering
on the pavement, as Mark* missed by only a couple feet. And then Jill suggested
throwing the mud balls at cars driving by, thus making them swerve. And let me
tell you, it sounded funny at the time. So Mark went ahead and threw one at a
car at it sped past. And, lo and behold, the first thing he hits is the
windshield of this car.
We were going to stop then. We'd managed to hit something. But, Mark looked back
to discover that someone was following us. Someone who had just turned around
because they'd been hit with a chunk of mud. The driver managed to catch the bus
after Mark was off, and informed the bus driver. We were told that the man was
contacting the bus company and our school. We still thought it was funny.
The humour of the situation was put to rest when the vice-principal informed us
that the driver was pressing charges against Mark and the police had already
been informed. A report was going home to Mark's parents and they weren't going
to let him ride the bus.
But the driver agreed not to press charges, so long as Mark did some yard work.
And Mark will be riding the bus again Monday. Though all eyes are on him, and he
has no second chances, maybe this has a happy ending.
One this that really got to me, though, was our vice-principal saying, "If you
know something is wrong, stand up for it. You can make the difference." And
that's the truth. I knew that what was happening was wrong, and I could have
said stop, but I didn't. And look at the results.
I grow stronger because of this, and it's the only way to look at it.
I know the truth.
-Giggler01
*Names changed to protect the innocent... namely, me. (Well, not really.)
|
