My Favorite Mistake: 7th Grade

Jonathan Beach

10/20/2016

English

Expressive and Reflective

My Favorite Mistake: 7th Grade

Everyone makes mistakes in life, and people can’t truly be perfect. Some people have trouble accepting that they have messed up; however, others acknowledge the root of the problem they’ve caused. I know I’m not an angel. I have been to hell and back because of my actions, and I have suffered the consequences of my mistakes. The mistakes that have influenced my life the most overall would have to be my Seventh Grade year.

I have always been one to get into trouble. But now, I was getting into trouble for a whole different reason. At home was stressful, and at school the same.  Mornings were tough, mostly filled with fear, and anger. Each day started with an argument between me and my father. I remember the first day of my seventh grade year, I had to walk to school and I wasn’t happy. Who would be? The weather was nice, but it was the first day of school. I mean, come on, dad. I was really upset. I wanted to get him back, so he would have to miss work somehow. So I ended up getting suspended my first day of the school year. I was suspended for disrupting class, after a teacher, Mr. Johnson, told me that we had to learn about Evolution at the end of the year. I decided to challenge Mr. Johnson, I said “I don’t believe in Evolution, so I don’t need to learn about it.” He answered back saying, “Oh, no, Evolution is just Scientific Theory and it is part of the curriculum, so you’re going to learn about it.” As he was talking, he had this look of the Devil, it reminded me of my father. I was frightened, so I kind of went off on him saying, “You don’t get to tell me what I have to learn, you’re just a pathetically saddened man, who had the audacity to become a Science teacher, for Christ’s-sake.”  I finished what I had to say, and was sent down to the Principal’s Office, where he said he would not tolerate that sort of behavior in his school. I laughed it off, like “Oh yeah, sure.” I was sent home, my dad picked me up, and I was out of school for three days. My dad was really upset, but I didn’t care. I thought that he should have to pay the price for not taking me on the First Day of School. And that was only the beginning, literally.

I remember, one winter day, when I was stuck in the school’s front office for like, three hours, because I got in trouble and was suspended. There was nobody able to come and get me, so they made me sit in the office, I was so bored. After what felt like forever, my grandma came and took me home. In the car she said, “Your father is pissed, Jonathan, and you keep making things worse for yourself.” I didn’t have an answer for her, because I knew she would see right through my lie. So I didn’t bother. But I was so scared, I didn’t want to go home. Nor did I even want to see my dad. When my grandma had told me that my dad was pissed, I was instantly stiff. I began to wonder what he would do. I knew at some point he would break and eventually I would pay the ultimate price, but I was ready for it. I had been suspended way too many times to count, so I knew he was getting close. When I finally got home, I immediately went to my room. I wasn’t hiding or anything, I was just preparing myself. I still remember the sound of the door opening and the jangle of keys. That intense moment of maddened silence, and the tickle of my neck hair’s rising. I was expecting the door to be slammed, but I was surprised when it was softly closed. He said my name, and I answered by saying, “I’m in my room.” He came in and suddenly was an animal, an animal enraged, looking at me like fresh raw meat. I thought he was going to kill me. I just sat there, and at times laid on my side, while he would be yelling and screaming, and hitting and kicking. Finally, it was over. I didn’t dare move. I lay still on my bed, and cry. I got ahold of myself and had my own sudden rage, but there was nothing I could do. He was a giant compared to me, I wouldn’t get one hit in, before he would beat me all over again. That sudden rage, I pushed back down. Instead, I decided I would just do what I do best. So the next day, I got suspended, and then again, and again, and again. I stopped caring about how people looked at me, I had so much anger built up that it out-weighed the other issues at hand. So I got suspended, again.