April 21, 1997 Monday
Today in French Mrs. Spacey gave another example why she should be exiled to Siberia. No one was paying attention to her (as usual), and she wasn’t in the best of moods. Actually, she was pretty cranky. Danielle Gaffney said something not suitable in the classroom about her assignment (and really only something allowed on late-night HBO), and Mrs. Spacey actually overheard one of her students this time. The room grew fairly quiet, and everyone looked to the cracked figure of Mrs. Spacey. She told Danielle, “Go down to the water fountain, get a drink, and think about what you said on the way back.” That was it. And then the exact same thing played out ten minutes later. So, in reality, Danielle learned she could get two breaks, and we didn’t get any. Way to put your foot down, Mrs. Spacey.
The last two school days Colin had looked weird. Today he looked ever weirder. This time it was sparkles in his glitter in his reddish hair and eyebrows, while wearing an inside-out raincoat. Everyone was convinced either:
a) Colin’s gone crazy
b) He just wants attention
c) Both a and b
The problem is most people never time the time to consider about the why a person does any action. There are merely instinctual reactions floating through the halls about Colin. It isn’t like Colin just woke up and decided he wanted to turn his hair silver for the heck of it. What he is doing is for a reason. This about it: Colin realizes in a few weeks we graduate, and it will all be over. The answer is obvious. Colin is afraid of being forgotten. He has never been a person that stands out a lot. He wants to be remembered, no matter what it is for. I was so sure about my theory I asked him in art if he thinks he will be remembered at all. His answer was a blunt “no.” I was right, but that’s not important. Colin also said probably Thursday will be his last day for this phase. He’s getting tired of people asking him why his hair is sparkly.
Colin will be remembered, and not for a weird kid that suddenly lost his mind, because it’s not true. By the people who know him, Colin Klimt will be remembered as a nice guy and a true friend for the people who got to know him. Now that I think of it, he’s a slightly awkward, quirky, semi-shy person with a smile on his face and a nonjudgmental attitude. that description somehow seems familiar…
At lunch I tried some of Willa’s stewed spinach. it smelled terrible, but I wanted to try something new (that by all appearances was very old), even though I could pretty much guess the outcome. At the moment it went into my mouth it was a horrible ordeal of a mouth and taste receptors in full rebellion. When i tried to finally swallow the green swill, my stomach yelled in veto. I finally got it down, but it was the worse thing I have ever tasted in my life.
Tonight in our away game against Roanoke I got my first chance for extensive play. I was in right field the first four innings, of seven. I handled two balls cleanly, one a lazy fly that bounced in between second and me, and the other a fly-out for the first out of the second inning. At the plate I was 0-1 with a walk. On the base-on-balls I advanced around the horn, to finally be walked home from third to tally my first run scored. It was so great to play and I have exhilarated fun. I proved to myself I could play. We won 12-7.
* * * * *
Right now I am tired. Tired of a lot of things, and it will probably get worse before it gets better. With the end of school approaching, I see little good in what a lot of teachers are giving us to do. Mrs. Spacey is the biggest offender with her pointless load of often non-French work she heaps on us. Lesser offenders are Mrs. Beres for English and Mrs. Johnston for World History. But are trying to make the remaining time for us go quickly–kudos!– but their assignments are usually tedious at best. Baseball is fine, but it is taking up too much time. No more than I thought, or really more than I can handle, but I wanted to write that sentence at least once. Except Friday we have a game every day this week.
Sometimes, and the irony is not lost on me as much as I write here about everyone, it is even the people themselves that become wearisome–but that rarely happens. But sometimes. And I must have that effect too. By themselves, one-to-one, everyone is always fine. But together, as a larger, noisy group, it can be tough to look forward to a day. That is closer to the truth of the above.
On the sports beat the Chicago Bulls lost to the Knicks Saturday night, which voided their chance at a second 70-win season. Yesterday the lowly Cubs (1-14), won their first game of the season, barely, 4-3. Maybe I’ll still be a student at Elmwood High School by the time they get their second.
My complied baseball stats for the season so far:
G AB H .AVE K RBI R PO E
3 2 0 .000 2 0 1 1 0 OF-2, PH-1
No One Will Believe You 