Balance

Today I subbed for a high school science teacher. The task at hand was to watch Planet Earth and take 10 notes. No big deal.

A student who I've seen before walks in, looks at me, punches the air and shouts: "woo hoo!" He is soon gushing with comments about how happy he is that I am there, and questions aloud whether he should just give me twenty dollars. He is that happy.

I tell him I'd take the twenty, but he revokes his offer; that is his lunch money for the week.

Another student who I know a little better (he was in one of my classes when I was student teaching) walks in, grumbles something like "oh no, not you!" and turns around to walk out. When he walks back in again I tell him that I didn't realize he secretly hated me.

"I don't secretly hate you," he says.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you publicly hated me."

"It's not hate, just severe dislike."

I know some kids might hate me for being mean, but I've never had an issue with this kid. He was always pretty nice, a little weird, but no one I've "told off" "played" or "pwned."

If you were ever wondering how I keep my balanced sense of self, this is it.