“ The first day of kindergarten was troubling for me.
When others coloured inside or outside the lines, I refused to colour.
When others would count their age at the water fountain, I would count to 10.
When others shied away and didn’t want to talk to me, I talked to myself.
When others pledged their allegiance to a polyester flag made in china, I ran around the tables getting in trouble.
The second day, not as much.
I learned to colour, not because it was fun but because it was for a grade.
I learned to count my age, not because that was the time needed, but because it was for a grade.
I learned to keep my mouth shut and not to talk to myself, not because I wanted to, but because it was for a grade.
I learned to say words I didn’t understand, not because I understood and respected what it said, but because it was for a grade.
Over time I soon began to learn, that what mattered wasn’t me caring, but that I had learned.
I learned that to get attention from a mom and dad who seemed to look through me wasn’t through having fun, but showing them I got an a B, or a A, or a green smiley face that said hooray.
I learned that it didn’t matter if my conduct in class was excellent or satisfactory or below average, but the 100 i got on my test that showed I was above average.
I learned that it didn’t matter if you had an great excuse for not doing the work, like a lack of attention in art class, or a complete misunderstanding of long division.
I learned…. I’m not sure, I forget most of it now that I take time to reflect and look back on the time where I must have learned something, but did I really?…
And later I was showed that getting good grades wasn’t as easy as it had been in kinder.
When life gave me a screaming father who scared me half to death half the time, I still had to work.
When life gave me depression and insomnia I still had to work.
When life made me suicidal and self-abusive, I still had to work.
When life almost made my body quit on me, I still had to work.
Work, Work, Work… When I take time to think, to look back at the classes, I didn’t learn the material, I learned that I needed to work. I learned that to succeed and work was equal to getting attention. I didn’t learn the history of Neanderthals crossing over on Russia to get here; I learned that even if you’re hiding under your bed, curled up in a ball howling in pain and scared for your life, it’s still due the next day. ”