Pursuit

School rules. Not the rule where you can’t bully people. That one I understand. Not the rule where you can’t destroy property. That one I understand.

Not the rule where you can’t steal. That one I understand. I’m talking about different rules. When you really think about these petty human ideas, you start to realize how unnecessary they are. Stereotypes emerge if those rules are broken. Some school days, right in the middle of class, at the point where you’re tapping your toe on the linoleum and twirling your pencil in countless circles, the teachers’ words from Charlie Brown, you just feel like running outside, feeling the wind on your face.

Real air filling your lungs, and just being able to run around. But no. Because as a young adult they think you don’t need to run around, stretch your legs and, here’s a thought; sit and think about important things. As a young adult they think your done with play. As a young adult they think your ready to give up your freedom to regulations of a society that’s obviously ripping itself apart.

I guess as they see it though, you won’t have a life if you don’t go to school. Like you can’t survive without knowing what the x intercept is, or how to spell really super long words that you’ll forget about completely after you turn in that test. What I’d like to know is how any of that could help you if you got lost in the woods. Or attacked by a stranger. Or how to build a shelter in a snow storm.

Sure, math and spelling are nice to know, but you can’t spell away your problems. Trust me, there are some subjects that matter. Like history, which surprisingly most people I know seem to like. It’s helpful to know the mistakes we’ve made, what problems we caused, and also what struggles we’ve solved. Because they challenge us to make better decisions and not reawaken the evils of our past. So as I was saying, I’ve had many urges to just walk out of a classroom, not looking back, walk out the door and just sit for a while.

Just listen to how the wind speaks with a voice that doesn’t tell you what you got wrong or how to multiply this rock by this leaf. It just talks, about earth and the sea, and faraway places that you’ve yet to discover. It talks about the sound of the river over flat grey stones and the colors of the small creatures that hide beneath man’s blind gaze. It laughs of the bewildered faces of your peers when you walk back in refreshed and renewed. Because you don’t have to do anything.

If you want to walk out of that classroom, do it. Without a pass. Oh my gosh, I’m so shocked, you’re such a bad person! No. Because this is your life. You don’t need a piece of paper to tell you that. But you’ll get a detention! Again, a piece of paper can’t tell you what to do.

What’s the worst that could happen? It goes on your permanent record that you turned some handles and walked out a couple of doors without the teacher saying you could. It’s not saying someone you loved died. It’s not saying that your going to fail life completely. You make it sound like I killed someone. But your teachers won’t like you! Hey, I get great grades, I do all the work. If my teacher hates me because I decided to (dramatic pause) think for myself, that is their problem.

My life won’t fall into disarray because someone looks down on me as a bad seed. I’m not saying you should skip class or that school is pointless. What I’m saying is that these rules and regulations are getting under everyone’s belt and most of them are pointless. Like how you can try your hardest to get to class but you end up being late. By what, two minutes? And then you get this cute little slip that, truly, says your feet don’t walk fast enough and that you have to spend two hours of your time to make up for the two minutes you wasted of our time, even though nothing was actually happening.

I’m also not saying that you have to walk out of the building to prove that you’re brave. Because that isn’t bravery. That’s simply doing something because you’re bored and want to look like an idol in front of your friends that you’re not the Cowardly Lion. Unless everyone’s forgotten, we have a right to the pursuit of happiness. Which, and I quote, states that, ‘in addition to life and liberty, gives us the right to pursue any legal activity as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others’.

Now call me crazy but I doubt taking a little stroll outside to get some fresh air because you want a break is going to hurt anyone else. The school thinks it can enforce loyalty into our minds because they have a foot long list of punishments for the fugitives. And we need to stop being fooled and threatened by paper. Talk about killing trees. If you stay, stay because you want to. Not because you’re afraid of a little rebound.

If you stay, stay because you want to. Don’t remain silent because they’ve sucked your voice out. If you stay, stay because you want to. Stay because you know it’s your path. I don’t hate school. I find enjoyment in many places.

And it’s only those moments that have kept me here. It’s only those places that stop me from walking out the door. Because I’m loyal to those that I do respect. I stay because I want to. Because if I hadn’t found my place here, I would have left a long time ago.