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Around
1982, as an assistant principal, I came to know a student
whom I shall call Nancy. Nancy was not among the ???elite??? of
this junior high, but in grade 8 she was a ???nice kid??? who
sometimes got into the ???trouble??? typical for her age group
of ???non-perfects???. Thus we had worked together earlier. She
also supported the efforts of my weight-lifting club to earn
funds for equipment. I recall her supporting one member,
Jim, by holding his hand at the ticket table of a dance
which we sponsored.
Then one
day a student, whom I shall call Mary, came into my office.
She was in tears. Her grandma??™s heirloom ring had been taken
from the gym office. She was devastated. I promised to help.
At this point in my service most of the students basically
trusted me. Therefore, I ventured to go on the PA and
announce that this missing ring was of extreme importance to
its owner; I asked only for its return, no questions to be
asked. Slim chance! It was just a little ring easily
disposed of or taken home.
But then
Nancy appeared at my door. ???Mr. Agee, is this the ring????
It was. I
thanked Nancy and told her that I ???owed her???! I returned the
ring to a grateful student and received thanks from her
family. I had been good on both my promises. Both.
The
following year, I was transferred, with these students, to
the High School. One day Nancy appeared at my door , entered
my office and sat in front of my desk.
???Mr. Agee,
I want to kill myself.??? Simple, direct, to the point! OK.
One great advantage was, of course, that she trusted me to
say this and knew that she could. (I think that she
understood that I would have to refer this on, but she came
first to me. I would not be turning her away to another just
yet!)
The Trust
of the Ring was unbroken.
I looked
at her, as perhaps God looks at us as His work. His work is
good.
His
creation of Nancy was also good. She needed to know that!
Had this been a parochial school, I could have referred to
His creation and placement of her here for a purpose, but I
would have to be indirect. We must, of course, keep God out
of schools at all cost. God gave me answers which would
???render to Caesar???; i.e., would not be ???illegal???. The laws
may keep God out of the school, but they could not keep Him
out of me!
I now knew
the answers, but needed Nancy to know them.
???Do you
ever date???? ???Yes.??? ???So, you may not be beautiful, but you
are pretty!???
???I guess.???
???Do you
know that some girls will go through all of school with not
one date?
You are
pretty and you get dates.???
One down.
???You are
not very tall, but are you awfully short? You??™re about in
between, right????
???Right.???
???OK. How
are your grades? Do you get at least ???C??™s????
???Yes???.
???Oh,
really! Then do you know that compared to some people you
are a genius?
I just
attended the special ed. graduation ceremony of the Downe??™s
kids. Do you know how much effort they put into learning to
tie shoes or to sing a simple graduation song ? All!???
???Oh.???
???So, Nancy,
you are pretty, have friends, get dates, and are not dumb;
you have a GOOD life. Right????
???Right.???
???You have
no reason to kill yourself.???
???No.???
***************
Nancy did
not kill herself. Mary and her family do not know the true
value of their ring. Someday I will tell them.
The last
time I saw Nancy, she had a great smile and was working
retail.
I said,
???Hi???.
Trust is a
ring; when unbroken, the ring??™s trust flows ???round and
???round and never stops.
It is the
Trust of a Ring.
VGAgee @a
ol.com
Jan. 3, 2003
From the memory bank.
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To read archived stories, click on this link:
http://archives.zinester.com/9516/2004
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Blessings to you today
Bob Johnston
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