After going to high school for the past three years, I've met many different individuals; from the 'jocks' to the 'nerds' to the try-hards and the potheads, you have to form your own squad. This group of people is known as your "friends".
Every person you ever meet (EVER) has made some type of impact on you. Whether they're a coach, a friend, a coworker, a teammate, or an acquaintance, everyone makes a difference. Each time you interact with someone, your mood changes, you provoke new ideas, share knowledge and create long or short lasting relationships with others.
This last year, I had taken a welding course at Capital High School. I was switched into the class last minute, however learned more new skills than I ever thought possible. I also met someone new, someone who I still call an acquaintance, however made an extremely large impact on my life.
I will call this guy Jake, as to not point any figures at who this is about.
Every time Jake walked into that welding classroom, he had a smile on his face. He was always extremely excited to learn, and always ready to venture new ideas. The one disadvantage Jake had, very uniquely from everyone else, was that he was slightly autistic. This was interesting to me, as I have Tourette Syndrome. Playing with 7000 degree flames wouldn't be the first choice you'd think a kid of this nature would try out.
But he did.
He burned himself.
He broke equipment.
He forgot the rules.
But he never wasn't smiling.
This kid was the most hard working young man I'd ever met. He had more perseverance than a pack of beavers building a dam during a flood.
Unfortunately, he ended up not taking the class the second semester.
I would eventually see him again in passing hallway periods, as well as riding his five-spoke BMX bike around town. Every time I saw this kid, something good happened. He was always uplifting and nourishing, regardless of what dirty task he was assigned or whatever life threw at him.
Jake was pure love in its finest form.
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