Lunchtime! That blessed time of day when I as a ten year old could meander around outside wherever I wanted, and this day particularly, because my friend was not there. She had a clubbed foot that took her out of school a lot that year for medical appointments. I didn't mind being alone. I was used to it, and I was used to playing by myself too.In order to go outside to the playground, I had to pass the classroom, which is normally empty, but on one particular day when I passed it, there was a group of about four or five boys in there talking. They saw me and called to me. Being a long time ago, I don't recall exactly what it was they said to me, but I remember that they were definitely making fun of me in some personal way. For a child who was practically born with what my mother called a tender heart, it was near impossible not to be affected by it emotionally, but I'm usually able to keep them under control, and it helped significantly from keeping the situation from getting worse. In this particular situation, I was also able to walk away from it. I was only a few steps past the door and out of their sight, when I heard one of the boys in the room say to them, "You shouldn't have done that." One of the boys laughed and asked, "Why not? It's fun!" The boy replied back his answer, one that even to this day I still hear in my mind.
"It's not nice."
It was the first time I'd ever heard someone say something in my behalf. He never knew that I heard him, and I doubt that now he remembers he ever said it, but the memory lingers on in me, and I feel just as grateful now of that memory as I did then. I was picked on a lot that year, but I have no recollection of these particular boys ever doing it again.
This story is a little reminder to me that I need to be aware of my words and actions at all times. I never know who's watching me beyond my view and there is no way I can know who's listening to what I saw around that corner. Hearts can by touched in the simplest of moments.
