AuburnChick's Adventures

Yesterday, I decided to run by Burger King.  I needed to feed Rooster, and being the devoted mother that I am, I figured that a little bit of grease wouldn’t hurt him one little bit.  Plus, I had a hankering for BK’s veggie burger, sans mayo, which is delish.

As the young woman working the drive-thru was taking my payment, she complimented me on my nails.

I thanked her but assured her that they looked awful.  In my typical, long-winded conversation manner, I continued by adding that I was planning on getting my nails done on Friday…in a style befitting the debut of the movie The Hunger Games.

She smiled and said that she’d read all three books and was eager to see the movie as well.

Then, I told her that I’m a teacher, and my reading team is going to take all of our students to see the movie.

That little opening was all she needed, and she poured out her soul to me.

She explained that she’d attended a school across town.  It’s an alternative school.  I nodded.  Then, she told me that she’d recently gotten her GED at yet another school.  I complimented her.

Still, she wanted to talk more.

She told me that she’d been really messed up…gotten sidetracked when she got into drugs…often skipped school because she was content staying home and being high.

Poor dear.  My heart hurt for her…until she finished her story by telling me that one day, she looked at her drugs and decided she was finished.  That’s when she got herself back in school and finished six months ahead of her peers.

I told her that as a high school teacher, I know that a lot of students do drugs, but that I’m also concerned about the teenage pregnancy that’s causing the young women to stop going to school.

She told me that nine out of ten of her friends are pregnant or have had children…multiple children.

Sigh.

This is real life, people, and I live in a small, yet decent town.  I’ll admit that at times, I’m still a bit naive…or maybe I’d just like to think that my town is different from others across the nation…that these issues don’t affect us as badly as others.

Yeah.  Right.  Remember, I do live in the state that’s home to Disney World…where we go to escape from reality.

Sigh.

I asked this gal if she planned to go college, and she told me that she’s going to become an RN, but she has to wait until January to apply for nursing school.  She’s already filled out her FAFSA, so she’s all set.  She’ll become eligible for a grant in January.

Before I drove off, I told her I was proud of her for choosing to change her life around.  Her smile was amazing!

I left encouraged that though many teenagers might lose their way, there are a few who do figure things out.

I’m going to share her story with my students, and I hope they’ll take the message to heart.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: teaching, teeangers |