Title credit to W.B. Yeats' The Stolen Child.
I spent an hour or two at a local Starbucks today with my favorite old teacher, Mrs. Jacobs. As always, it was pleasant, though as always, she was divided in attention between me and ten or so other, more talkative, teachers. Mrs. Jacobs is a good Christian- I say this because she is kind, understanding, reasonable, and loving, not because she is pharisaic- and leads the life of a middle-aged, life-long Christian. This means that she raises her children in a respectable manner- the sort of way that I wish I had been raised, now- but means that she has very little idea as to what really happens in a modern teenager's life (even a modern lower-middle class teenager's life).
I feel so sorry for her.. The world is more depraved than she could understand. It'd hurt her to know the truth as it is for one such as me; it would pain her in a way that would not help ultimately with anything. The truth of the impurity of children is only to be realized by the younger generation- only they can handle it. Her perception differs, and the chasm cannot be breached. Whereas profanity and sexuality seem far-off and alien to her, they are the way of the world for me- not to say I wish to have a part in said world or that I condone it, for I do not. In fact, I fight the way of this world. I do not fight those following that way, however.. Or, at least, I intend to work towards not doing so, Lord help me.
It's disheartening. I'd do anything to protect the purity of the children younger than I that I see. I so wish someone would have protected mine more than it was.
I feel so sorry for her.. The world is more depraved than she could understand. It'd hurt her to know the truth as it is for one such as me; it would pain her in a way that would not help ultimately with anything. The truth of the impurity of children is only to be realized by the younger generation- only they can handle it. Her perception differs, and the chasm cannot be breached. Whereas profanity and sexuality seem far-off and alien to her, they are the way of the world for me- not to say I wish to have a part in said world or that I condone it, for I do not. In fact, I fight the way of this world. I do not fight those following that way, however.. Or, at least, I intend to work towards not doing so, Lord help me.
It's disheartening. I'd do anything to protect the purity of the children younger than I that I see. I so wish someone would have protected mine more than it was.
3 comments:
How nice that you got to see your favorite teacher! And I would be envious of her instead of sorry, existing as she does, believing that the world is a better place than it is. But really, you see what you want to see. You can choose to see all the horrible things in the world, and be depressed by it, or you can choose to do what you can about the horrible things in your immediate vicinity - and ignore the rest, because there's nothing you can do about it.
You are as pure as you want to be. The past doesn't matter, only what you do with the present and the future.
Hey Kristen, it's James. It's been a while, huh? If you ever want to talk, my number's (727)-207-2484... It'd be nice to hear from you.
How nice of you to stop by my little hidey-hole. You always brighten my day.
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