About One Thing

There were repercussions and some sorting out with the school over the incident, but all in all, nothing really changed. Nothing changed in how I felt about going back to a school where people behaved like that (and I mean the students as well as the teaching staff). Nothing changed with the next few schools we did move to, I found they had the same type of people at them, regardless of the location. And often, they also had the same type of inconsistent punishments. Nothing changed for me, until the incident with Mr Walsh (See blog Saturday 18^th January 2013) and the lesson he taught me. I had stolen and been caught. I had been made to sit through an afternoon of feeling guilt and facing potential suspicion. And now, the other students had left and I was attending to the cleaning of the blackboard. At least with Mr Walsh, there was no washing down of the blackboard as well as wiping it. Mr Walsh just expected it to be cleaned. Once the other students had cleared the classroom, Mr Walsh calmly asked me to sit back at my desk. I did so.

‘So, How did that feel today, Mr Dwyer?” He asked me after a short pause. He looked at me genuinely interested in my response. He went on to explain, “Sitting through the afternoon, without knowing if the students would be told you were a thief, or wondering if they already knew you were a thief?” It was a simple question to answer, probably one of the easiest I had been asked in that classroom. “It felt terrible, Sir.” He nodded in understanding. “Yes, it would,” He continued. “So my question to you is very, very simple. Is that how you wish to live your life?” He paused and let that sink in. I considered exactly what he was saying. “Would you want to walk through your life wondering if everyone thought you could not be trusted? Would you ever be happy sitting in a room of people knowing, they knew you were a thief? Untrustworthy, Unwanted. Unwelcome. It would be very, very lonely as well. Except perhaps, other thieves. But would you want them as friends? The moment anything went wrong, you would be the first person suspected. Regardless. It would not make for a very happy life would it?” Mr Walsh explained succinctly. “No Sir.” I replied.

“It comes down to one thing, Mr Dwyer.” He looked at me seriously. “No one gives it to you. But you can give it away, very easily, and, it doesn’t matter what you do, you cannot get it back as easily.” He had lost me for a moment. “Sir?” I asked. He replied calmly. “Respect.” He let the word sink in. “Respect for others. Respect for others property, for your own property, and especially, respect for yourself.” I heard him (as I still hear him). “Respect for your self will mean you can proudly stand beside other people, and know you will always do the right thing. You do not follow people who can’t be trusted. When you respect your self, you will not do the wrong thing. You will not hurt others, you will not steal something that is not yours.” He looked at me intensely. “Respect, Mr Dwyer.

(Continued tomorrow)