Jr. Pain in the Neck

A Delano middle school teacher is facing battery charges for allegedly choking one of his 8^th grade students. The story got me thinking about how I behaved in the 8^th grade. I was rotten. In fact, I have no doubt there was a yard duty teacher who would have loved to have choked my neck. I’m not sure why, but I made it my personal mission to make that woman’s life a living hell. I reveled in it.

I don’t know what it is about Jr. High. It’s a very difficult stage for most kids. Hormones are raging, and your body goes through awkward growth spurts. Or at least mine did. For some reason my nose grew faster than the rest of my face. I had a big nose, buck teeth, and freakishly boney knees. I was spent many an afternoon crying to my mother over how ugly I was. I think I took my anger out on that poor yard duty teacher. (Although part of me still thinks she deserved it.)

All I know is if that teacher really did choke that kid he probably deserved it. I felt like choking my kid when he was in Jr. High and I have the most well behaved child in the world. Somehow I doubt he really stood in front of all those other children choked him with the passion and conviction to kill. He probably just really wanted him shut up. And as long as that kid isn’t dead I say no harm, no foul.

Of course, if it was my kid I would totally kick his ass.