lesson 12: people sometimes surprise you with kindness

"Ohh... this sounds like a mushy one."

"Yeah. Kinda."

"So what happened."

"Through middle school, I didn't really get any cooler."

"Is this a poor me story?"

"Nope. Just to say that I wasn't uber nerdy or cool. I was in a middle ground that left me only semi-teased. I had weird clothes, the glasses, the teeth... Probably more kids were in this middle area than I know. Or at least this is what I tell myself."

"Is it?"

"Is what?"

"So, you were a semi nerd."

"Yes. Any-ways... I was getting teased on the bus (I hated the bus) about something..."

"It wasn't the boob thing again?"

"...and feeling pretty close to tears when the cool girl who was 'going steady' of one of the cool boys stopped everyone saying, 'Ingrid is my friend. I like her. Stop talking shit about her.'"

"Wow. Did they, like ostracize her and tease her about her weird choice in friends? Did you drag her down into your realm of semi-nerdiness?"

"Thanks. No. They stopped. For that day at least. It was amazing. I would love to thank her. What a great kid. And not just for defending me (for which of course I'm really grateful) but for having her own mind and caring."

"Well then..."

"Lisa, if you're out there. Thanks for making an awkward kid feel better about themselves. Thanks for standing up for me. I never forgot it. And you remind me to defend others when it is easier to go with the crowd."

"Yeah. That was mushy."

"You forgot nice."

"OK. Mushy but nice."