I posted this on the forum but…

Today was Leflerpalooza 4, essentially the official end to the school year for Lefler after school clubs.

This year has been so amazing for me. I can’t believe how quickly it’s gone by. I’ve spent nearly every weekday for the last 9 months, at Lefler with various after school clubs. I’ve gotten to know so many kids and see so many people change over the course of one school year.

But what’s weird, is that I feel like so many of these people are my friends. It’s like somewhat socially unacceptable for an old person to say that people who are 12-14 years old are their friends, but I’ve spent the last year with these guys, and I’ve gotten to know them, and they are my friends.

I think back to when I was in 8th grade and 7th grade and 6th grade, and I think about the people who meant something to me then mean relatively nothing to me now. And I realize, that to these kids, when they get to be my age, I will be at best a memory, and at worst, completely forgotten. But that doesn’t change the fact that for the last 9 months, these were my friends.

I look forward to seeing what these people grow into in 10-15 years. Because I was there, and I know how hard it was to go through middle school. and it’s easy to see how much potential there is in these people.

So maybe it’s a little bit of jealousy and insecurity, seeing how far these people can go, and seeing how much they have in them, at these young ages, and seeing where I am now. But it makes me sad, knowing that I can really only be some small brick on their path. I guess I just hope that I was an important brick on that path.

I think this is why I could never be a teacher. I get too attached. But I can’t wait to see what these guys accomplish by the time they’re college aged and beyond. It’s amazing to see how much talent they have now, and to also wonder about all the other kids at the other middle schools who have that talent, but no after school program to let it loose.

I guess I’m just really happy that in the fall of 2000, Jason Schmit and I took Film Production 1 together, otherwise I’d never have known him, and I’d never have ended up teaching after school clubs at Lefler for the past school year.

One Response to “I posted this on the forum but…”

  1. Brian Casavant Says:

    Hello, I don’t go to lefler, but I know many kids that do or did. I think that the job on all the movies was great, and was wondering if you could post “Daydreamer” and “The Grim Reaper’s Day Off” on Youtube.com. Thank you.

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