February 3, 2025
Finding solitude
On my previous journal I wrote about how I was overcome with emotions on the regular. Right before heading on this trip I had pizza with a friend and he asked if this may happen again. I said I have no idea.
And here’s the thing. When you sit on a bike and push the pedals up big hills you have loads of solitude. It’s unlike regular life where when our thought wonder we fill it with TV, or mindless scrolling.
Yesterday I flashed back to 1987. I was in grade, standing 5’1” and rocking a polo shirt with braces. I was in a grade 7/8 school that was certainly a social experiment gone wrong.
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A straight A student I ended up in a class of the misfits. And while I was a good student I think I was completely bored and that boredom manifest as miss behaviour.
That year I had Mr Moffatt. He was a tallish guy with a full head of black hair swept to the side. He had glasses that filled his face and he always wore those button up short sleeve shirts and usually mustard yellow. He had a bit extra around the middle that sat on top of those tight 80’s dress pants. He was often seen on breaks with a dart in his mouth. He was quick to laughter and I was fond of him.
In class we would have pee shooter wars. Essentially we’d take the end off a Bic pen and pull out the ink sleeve and pop off the blue end cap. Then we’d rip off a good chunk of paper and chew on it and form a wet ball of paper. Then we’d load up and fire right when he was facing the board. Face shots were the goal, although any contact was acceptable.
The thing was he was much smarter than me. And my performance had me dragged into his back office.
“Son I’ve had you in my class before. You are exactly like Dr. Toth. He was a complete jerk like you are being.” He went on to predict the future of every one of the kids I was hanging with at the time. And years later it turned out he was 100% correct.
That talked sort of knocked some sense into me. Well, sort of. Later that year after finishing all 3 of the elective classes (shop, home economics, art) we had the chance to take one again. I chose home economics because food. I was so terrible that I got booted out and put in art with Mrs. Willsie. She was the task master and this was not where I wanted to be. I can only imagine what she was thinking. I’m the best teacher in this school and this is my punishment.
I sat at the back thinking I’d avoid her eyes but well that failed. She got so angry with me one class that she dragged me out of class by hair. No joke!
In the hall there was a real threat that she’d be calling home. Every teacher knew my parents were teachers and each one reminded me that I was nothing like my older siblings.
That evening I went home in a panic. I knew the call was coming so I jumped on my dirt bike hoping to escape. Unfortunately running away wasn’t in the cards and I returned to face it.
So what about this story would stir emotions. It’s because in life there are so many people who act as guardrails to keep us on the right course. And I had them in spades.
Mr Moffatt died far too young when I was in high school or university.
Friend, you were right. I figured it out and went on to get far too much education. Thank you :)
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