Some people just don’t get the fact that life has numerous obstacles in store for us. They might solve one measly problem from the many challenges and think they are some kind of Einstein, living their own little fantasy.
All well and good.
Until they get egotistical about it and, well, let’s just say are in need of a reality check, to bring them back to the real world. In a form of a high five. On the face. With a chair…. But rest assured, I am not that violent. I simply like to express myself in a unique way, no harm in that.
Naturally, this meant that I was classified as having a ‘sharp tongue’ and people tended to maintain a good three feet away from me. Which is fine by me, as they did not want to be constantly corrected and frankly, I was getting weary of being right all the time, so it was a win-win. Nevertheless, I still wanted company (even chronic critic’s get lonely) and consequently, when a new girl arrived at school that day I was determined to be the first to befriend her. But before I could, I had to adapt a different approach if I was to gain her trust.
As I walked into class, I promised myself I will not point out anyone’s error, if only for some time, just untill the new girl took a liking to me.
And I immediately regretted my decision.
“Come on man, it’s one in the same thing!” a boy, sitting atop his desk, joked with his companions.
I bit back a retort.
It had taken not less than a minute for a simpleton to incorrectly use such a simple phrase! Everyone is aware that ‘one in the same’ means nothing. The correct phrase in ‘one and the same’.
It took me all my will power to stay silent.
No, I am not going to admit defeat just yet I convinced myself and slowly settled into my seat.
The determination of the human mind to continuously repeat one mistake again and again astounds me. Had I have known that, by making a commitment to not correct others, I would have had to deal with the half-witted remarks of imbeciles all day long; I would have never gone through with it. The entire day I had to cope with “on accident”, “conversating” and worse of all “you guyses” and each time I would be resisting the urge to chide them on their ignorance.
Fortunately, my efforts paid off as during our final lesson of the day, I was paired up with the new girl, Ayesha. We had an assignment on Shakespeare and Elizabethan language, which I was confident no one could ruin.
How wrong I was.
As soon as the teacher turned her attention away from the students, they began snickering and giggling at the Shakespearean phrases.
“Thou sudden-witted lord! Thou hast no more brain than I have in my elbows!” one of them sneered
“Poisonous buck-backed toad!” another chuckled.
I flinched; somewhere Shakespeare is rolling in his grave
I wanted to get up then and there and tell them to concentrate on the task at hand, yet I managed to remain poise.
“Are you familiar with Shakespeare and his works?” I asked Ayesha, desperate to divert my attention.
“Yeah sorta” she replied rather unenthusiastically.
Snap
“Sort of” I whispered
“Hmm?”
“You are using the phrase incorrectly, ‘sorta’ is just an idle way of saying “sort of” I was slowing raising my voice, but it did not matter now. There was only so much a person can endure before losing their composure and I had reached my limit.
“You should mind your grammar, otherwise you might wind up offending someone” I glared straight at Ayesha.”It should not be taken lightly” my voice grew menacing with each word.
Students around me started to back away, but I was unfazed. Somewhere in the distance the bell rang, signaling the end of school. Ayesha and the others fumbled for their things and dashed out the classroom. I was left alone once again, though this time I was glad.
I was mistaken to assume that I had to change to be accepted.
That was just not possible.
I am satisfied just the way I am, and if you believe otherwise, you’ve got another thing coming.
