When I was in high school, I was part of something amazing. I'm not sure how it began, but within the first few months of high school we had several things occur that began to push our class together against the school authority. This is not to say that my class was not cliquish, we were, but every stupid decision made by the teachers, administrators, and/or board only seemed to infuriate us more, but like a squishy ball pressed in from all sides, my class stuck together.
By late in my freshman year we had gotten to the point that we were not going to be pushed around as a group. It kind of came to a head at a spring pep rally. Evidently we had not showed enough enthusiasm for the school something or other, and we were told to stay after everyone else left and we were given a stern "blah blah blah" lecture and told that we could leave as soon as we stood and sang the school fight song. No one moved. We sat and stared at the teachers, they stared at us... I remember it being an hour at least before the stand off ended, I don't even recall if we sang or not, but the point had been made, and reinforced in everyones mind. Stick together and you cannot get bullied, even by ADULTS... and this was a Catholic high school.
What a powerful, wonderful lesson. When some goody goody decided to take the soda machines out of the cafeteria, we struck, and for three days no one got cafeteria food. (I can still tell you the two people who crossed the line, one it wasn't important she was clueless, but other, you know who you are). By Friday, we had our soda machines back. A write in student council president, a second senior skip day when a couple of people were suspended for taking place in the first one... and on and on and on. A change in the administration occurred. I am certain that we were not the only group to party upon our graduation.
Looking back, this was one of the most incredible things that could have happened to me as a young person. The power of the people.
--------
Since I turned my life around and have come to understand certain aspects of the dysfunctionality of my rearing. I came to believe that, like many or most with my background, I had a dislike of authority because of the chaos shown from my parents as I grew up. Yes, I have had trouble with authority my entire life, with some of the people I have had as bosses, with teachers, with church leaders, with society. In particular the self serving ones. I've told a boss "...why do try to make me believe what you are telling me, I only have to do what you say, not like it..."
As I said, I thought that my disdain for authority came from my childhood, but as I think more about it, I'm not sure that is it. I think as I learned the above lesson about power flowing up, I've really never quite gotten over the headiness of the experience. That a united group of people standing their ground, or moving together, can accomplish more than any single individual could hope to do. My attempts to lead are like this, gathering a group together to do something, or to protest something. My personality is geared toward groups. My understanding of God is viewed as the one who is all. My love of the Christian church? The body of Christ.
Unfortunately, for me, all of this is out of cycle, I graduated in 1982, not 1962, and soon to follow my graduation was the me-first 80's, not the protesting 60's. I realize this is all cyclical and that eventually authority will lose it's grip in this country and the power will go back to the people, but it doesn't help me from missing those days when I could as, part of group, accomplish the normally unobtainable.
No comments:
Post a Comment