showing up

Last night a guy came in looking for work: he looked familiar from somewhere -- I could not place him. When I requested his name, so I could identify his photograph in the computer, and he answered me -- bingo! He was possibly the most obnoxious student I encountered in a brief few months of substituting in the local public school, three years ago.

As a sub, you're essentially a "guest star" -- it's fun. Sure, some kids "test" the subs but they weren't bad to me. I think they could tell I liked them. Not many could push me to think [never say, but think] -- "My goodness, this person is obnoxious and I don't know what to do to increase his or her fun and learning and decrease the rotten behavior!!"

Not many -- maybe three, total. And one of them shows up here.

I asked if he graduated -- No. But -- "I'm getting my G-E-D."

Couldn't remember exactly WHAT he did that ticked me off -- think the main thing was, he was ruining art class for the three students sitting at the desk "island" with him. It was like -- they weren't allowed to learn, or participate in a positive way, either. He wasn't gonna let 'em.
That's what got me. And the way he just sat there, thinking of what horrid thing he could say or do next. It was like a Campaign.

People drift in and out of your life experience.
Floating in the space of the Time You're Here.
(Once I met Chuck Berry.
Stood in line to shake hands with him, on an Indian Reservation.)

Roll over, Beethoven.

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