In 1969, I was in the seventh grade at Highland Middle School, located on Ridge Road in Granger, Ohio. I was thirteen years old, and Richard Nixon had just become president.
Mrs. Leiberman, our English teacher had asked all of us in class to verbalize a "why" question. Everybody had their own answers, and I'm sure I had mine, though I can't remember what this was. This one classmate posed this one-"Why do we have parents?" Most of us, at the time, thought this was a stupid question.
We were asked to write an essay based on these questions. The one who posed the question in the last paragraph wrote simply, "Why do we have parents? The world would be better without them." The essay got a zero and some laughs from the rest of us, though now I wonder why these teacher read it to the class. The one that got the highest grade was about a question as to why there are wars, as the Viet Nam war was being fought at that time.
But back to the one that got the zero. I have wondered during the years if this was actually a call for help, as this boy's mother was only in her late twenties, which meant he was born when she was fifteen. Was he being abused because he was a kid being raised by a kid?
I also wonder if this was written nowadays, if children's services would have been notified?
Update 8:16 PM:In the way of being fair and more accurate I have to add this one correction. The one who wrote the best essay got an "A plus plus", the one writing the two sentence essay got an "F minus minus."
Mrs. Leiberman, our English teacher had asked all of us in class to verbalize a "why" question. Everybody had their own answers, and I'm sure I had mine, though I can't remember what this was. This one classmate posed this one-"Why do we have parents?" Most of us, at the time, thought this was a stupid question.
We were asked to write an essay based on these questions. The one who posed the question in the last paragraph wrote simply, "Why do we have parents? The world would be better without them." The essay got a zero and some laughs from the rest of us, though now I wonder why these teacher read it to the class. The one that got the highest grade was about a question as to why there are wars, as the Viet Nam war was being fought at that time.
But back to the one that got the zero. I have wondered during the years if this was actually a call for help, as this boy's mother was only in her late twenties, which meant he was born when she was fifteen. Was he being abused because he was a kid being raised by a kid?
I also wonder if this was written nowadays, if children's services would have been notified?
Update 8:16 PM:In the way of being fair and more accurate I have to add this one correction. The one who wrote the best essay got an "A plus plus", the one writing the two sentence essay got an "F minus minus."
Comments
A personel note in 1969 I was in the tenth grade at Max S. Hayes voc.high school.I graduated in Jan 1971.
BettyAnn
A 15 year old is ill equipped to raise a kid, that's true now, and it was true then.
Such questions are worth the investment of time and effort. We are all human beings, after all. And when we cry out sometimes all we need is someone to take our questions seriously.
I had a student of mine in high school confide in me once. She was such a sweet girl and only 16 at the time... She had already attempted suicide and she was telling me that she was still trying to take her life. It was heartbreaking... We got her help, I am VERY big on this... We had such a good talk, she and I... And I can tell it made a positive impact on her at the time... I reported it immediately to her counselor and to the principal b/c as a teacher for the district, we are "mandatory reporters."
I also had new student enter my class because of a failed suicide attempt. I will never forget her- she was only 15 at the time she tried to take her own life- mostly b/c she was upset with her mom... She drank liquid drano and her brother found her unconscious on the kitchen floor. It left her with permanent brain damage and servere physical and cognitive disabilities... Broke my heart in two.... She was a beautiful young girl- lots of friends who loved her, a cheer leader... and very sweet.... Soooo sad! I was glad to have been a part of her life for the time she was a student in my class.