Age

Some people dread growing older. I eagerly anticipate the respect and wisdom that comes with age. When people groan about their age, I wonder why they aren’t celebrating. Maybe my perspective is immature, because I am only 24. I don’t yet know what it’s like to feel my body failing, or to notice my mirror reflection morphing into a person I don’t recognize.

I’ve had people tell me that I’m too young to be a high school teacher. They say that kids can’t understand that I’m in charge. The parents wonder what I have to teach a kid who’s not far behind me in age. I’m doing fine. They’re learning. My class is anything but chaotic.

Did you know that Martin Luther King Jr. led the Montgomery Bus Boycott at the ripe age of 26? How’s that for making a difference at a young age?