That Zebra Got a Reprieve

On the commute to school there's a small pasture where animals have been grazing on and off all year. Yesterday, I saw a zebra kneeling over a wired hay bale, grazing. It was definitely weird to see the zebra out in a cow pasture; his stripes were dingy and he looked completely out of place. How I feel sometimes in school. That my views, while not too far left, are completely far fetched from those around me.

Each day I am more and more surprised by how little awareness students have and how quick they are to make a bad choice. On Monday I had to sub for Brandy (who left school promptly after arriving because she was having false labor pains). Picture Chris--typical high school gamer. Doesn't want to do anything, and doesn't do anything. At one point, he literally had a zero in English. A zero. Wears black, has black hair, and is pale. Chris imagines that he's smart, but he doesn't' prove it through his actions. Like on Monday when the principal comes in to light a fire under Chris to do his science project. Chris refuses. Principal says in a sterner voice to get to work. Eventually, Chris erupts into a "This is fucking retarded!" And leaves the room mumbling, then screaming "Later!"

I never would have dreamed of a principal overhearing me cursing, much less cursing at him--but that's Chris for you--never thinking about a point from which there is no return. Before he said the F word, he had a window where he could have gotten up and pretended to work for a few minutes. There were fifteen minutes left in class. He could have gotten a reprieve.

When I pointed out the zebra to Laura, she said, "you're joking right?" No, I tell her--pretty zebra eating grass. Right between the gas station and the tax place. "At the meat packing plant?" Well, yeah, I guess it was the meat packing plant. "Well, that zebra won't be around later." Then it hits me. All year I've seen animals in that pasture. This zebra, a few cattle, a horse, some ostriches. There for a few days--then an empty pasture.

This morning when I saw the zebra I sighed a breath of relief. He had earned a reprieve for at least one more day.