by jebathehound/ jeba writes occasional posts about his friend Will’s journey through middle school
I was driving my young friend Will to school, and noticed the faintest hint of whisker between his nose and lip. I have not written about Will and the middle school years, as much as I thought I would. I have scouted out other’s writings. For Will’s Mom, I found a book by a high school counselor who advises her to give up being a manager in lieu of becoming the consulting mom. Keeps abandonment at bay.
Also a few books to enlighten her way.
I have given Will books too.
John Stewart’s Earth has been particularly well received.
One thing I see is that this is a time when these young teens can veer ahead when they find a single passion. One of Will’s friends started banging out tunes on the piano. Will started shooting hoops for hours. Like the hound that I am, I encouraged Will to join his school basketball team. (Actually I howled at Will to join the school team. This is Not a Consulting Stance). Why? I had seen Will make a flip book of a stick figure making gravity defying hoops Flipping through, I felt Will’s insides flying. He didn’t join the team though.
He needed to find a comfort zone from which to jump. There are cliques in these middle school years that make it for a boy to want to fall. But once a middle schooler finds a passion, life can get great. Will’s piano clanging friend switched to art school. Will started hanging with the Young Men of Color at his school; they found color in his whiteness and Will found his basketball uber, and joinied the team.
I did it my way. (With us consulting.)
Tags: high school counselor, life., Middle School Years, middle schooler, passion, school basketball team, shooting hoops
