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Monday, December 22, 2003

From David Hopkins' Blog
I would have just linked to it, but I couldn't get his direct link to the post to work correctly:

During lunch today, I saw a student in the hallway take gum out of her mouth and throw it on the ground.

Someone will get gum on the bottom of their shoe, because someone else threw the gum on the ground. What sort of creature acts without thought of consequence? Maybe I'm overreaching, but such actions seem emblematic of the depravity and apathy of the human condition. We could blame a bad upbrining, bad home life. Maybe it was genetics? Maybe she was born without a soul? Maybe all her friends were doing it and she wanted to be cool?

The student didn't see that I saw her action. She probably wouldn't care. Do I yell at her using my "teacher voice"? Do I give her the "evil eye"? Do I force her to pick it up? Do I use my authority to teach her: "People with souls throw their gum in the trashcan. You do want a soul, don't you?"

Instead, I kept walking. Bent down. Picked up the gum and put it in a thrashcan outside. I doubt she saw me, nor did I do it so she would see me. After all, this student has no soul. What would it matter? Tomorrow, she'll do the same thing once she's finished with her gum. I was merely thinking about the victims, the soles without gum on them... I was keeping them safe.

In hindsight, maybe I should've acted differently. But at the moment, her actions only left me to ponder: "So this is what people without a soul do-- I mean, in an uneventful moment. They can't always be plotting some sinister evil. They can't always be conspiring the downfall of human civilization. In their spare time, they do this."

From Jimmy: As a side note, Amy and I ran into various incarnations of this same souless student at the Return of the King this past weekend. There were about 4 of them sitting on the front row. They talked and laughed loudly during the scenes that weren't action filled enough for their media addicted eyes and minds. There was no thought as to how they might be ruining those sometimes meaningful scenes for the other movie-goers.

posted by Jimmy at 3:56 PM | |

Jimmy Doyle is a dad, husband, teacher, friend, and other things. Currently he's just trying to figure out what it means to follow Christ and be in community with others. He enjoys having conversations with fellow pilgrims on the journey.

If you'd like to email Jimmy, you can do it here.

Stephen Zedler has a wife and three kids who he loves very much. He has been called by God to study and teach history, particularly U.S. history. He also believes that God has called him to reform the way children are educated in America.

If you'd like to email Stephen, you can do it here.

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