This Monday I substituted for the 6th time in the same school as before. This time I was “teaching” another special education class with students considered more functional. I have some doubts on the more functioning part of that statement on account of one specific class. While they were not wheelchair-bound or dumb of speech like my previous class, there was not a single brain cell in the entire group. In this class, I was a mere observer and felt like a member of a National Geographic Channel documentary – “The intrepid anthropologist” skillfully navigates the natural environment until reaching the target specimens. He observes the specimens in their native state, conversing only about their imaginary sexual exploits interrupted by occasional bouts of machismo to establish a very temporary and transitory dominance. Their main behavior seemed to bouncing a ball back and forth among themselves trying to hit each other in the genitalia. To be honest, I forgot about them being human for a moment as their behavior seemed more in line with baboons or rutting deer. I wondered to myself if I had ever been like them in my youth. God forbid! But I suspect it was so.
In my last post, I stated that I was filled with patience and understanding for those kids, as they were among those who most needed it most. My only thought this day was, “I hope that the Lord never allows these kids to actually run anything important, because in their current state they will kill us all.” Maybe one day they may grow up to fulfill some important task, but I have trouble imagining that I could entrust a mop and a bucket to them after the hour I spent with them.