A Boy, A Pencil, & God

There are some battles, in life, worth fighting and others not so much.  Those closest to me know that I do not back away from a confrontation that I deem to be unjust. (Unfortunately, the world is full of injustice). Granted, I do not always choose my conflicts wisely, but I am a work in progress.

When I  was a high school teacher, one situation that was never worth battling was school supplies:  pens, pencils, paper, folders, etc.  Yes, students needed them to be successful.  No, they did not consistently bring them.  Unfortunately, some students simply could not afford the supplies (heartbreaking).  Other students forgot their backpacks at Dad’s house, or Mom’s house during the weekly transitions.  Others were thinking about the cute guy or girl in class, the football game, the cute guy or girl in class, what’s for lunch, the cute guy or girl in class, why frogs are green, the cute guy or girl in class, the pimple in the middle of their forehead, or the cute guy or girl in class.

So, what does a teacher do?

My policy:

“No pencil? No problem. You can borrow one from me as long as you leave collateral. When you return the pencil, you reclaim your item.”
There were a couple of stipulations.  No shoes (teens’ shoes stink), no articles of clothing (ewww).  Not much surprises teachers, but the collateral offered never ceased to amaze and tickle me.  Deodorant! Why do you have deodorant but NO PENCIL?  Yo Yo’s. Mirrors. Spoons. Nail polish. Toothbrushes. A live turtle pulled from a pocket (not kidding)!

——–

Recently, I received an email from a former student.  It began, “You probably do not remember me.” This is a good guess. After decades of teaching thousands of students, memories become blurry. I hear this phrase on a regular basis when I am out shopping. I will never say, “No, I don’t remember you”. No one wants to think they are not remembered.  Typically, I ask the student (now grown adult) to remind me of their name, or the year they graduated.  This usually jogs my memory and I can recall something unique about them to reassure my former student that I have, indeed, not forgotten.  If not, I fake it with every limited acting skill I possess. Always, I am delighted to talk to them and find out  about their lives.

But this one student, I remember.  Michael.  

Michael spent effort in finding my contact information and new work email. “You probably do not remember me, but when I was a senior in your class, I borrowed a pencil.  The pencil was important to me, and I did not return it.  I still have the pencil.  I hope you don’t mind but I do not want to return it.  Be assured that I have paid it forward.  I have a feeling you will approve.”

Michael borrowed a pencil from the cup on my desk.  In return, he left a Garth Brooks CD  (obviously, years ago).  At the end of the day, I noticed that the CD was still on my desk.  I checked Michael’s schedule and met him outside his 7^th period class to exchange our items.  He asked to keep the pencil.  – Why? –

Michael:  This pencil has a rainbow on it, and the name of a church, Bering Memorial United Methodist.

Me:  Yes

Michael:  Don’t they know that the rainbow is a symbol for gays?

Me:  Yes

Michael:  Are you telling me that this church believes God loves gay people?

Me:  Yes

I returned the CD and Michael kept the pencil.  I do not recall exactly how I acquired the pencil.  Like most public educators, I never left a stray pencil abandoned and waiting for a home.  I believe I picked up this particular pencil from a friend and colleague who was a member of BMUMC.  Exactly how it came to my possession is unknown, but it was no accident.

Michael wrote that this “pencil incident” was the closest he came, in high school, to “outing” himself.  Being gay was a struggle for him, especially living in a small town in the most conservative county in Texas (according to the Texas Monthly Magazine). Top it off with dressing country and listening to country music, it was not an easy time. He said that the pencil was “hope”.

——–

Michael and his husband have two children, and Michael is an ordained associate pastor at a reconciling United Methodist Church where each year he orders rainbow pencils to place in the sanctuary.  

– I like the way he chose to pay it forward! –

Michael signed his email, “God loves you, and so do I”.

Isn’t that enough in this world?  No battle needed.  How easy!  

God loves you, and so do I.