A Little Boy Alone

It was the last day of grammar school. Typically sunny and warm with the din of noise from the children playing in the school yard as they pass the time waiting for summer. A little boy was standing away from the larger group. He was not playing with the group he was just standing alone watching the activity. There was a sand box adjacent to the swings and play courts - It was empty with the exception of several bean bags which were used for an adjacent game. The little boy walked into the sand box and sat down. In a somewhat meditative state he began running his fingers thru the warm fine sand. Picking up a hand full and watching the sand run through his fingers as it would in an hour glass. Time past slowly but he was neither distracted by the noise of the children or the passage of time. In a few moments a little girl walked into the sand box and sat down beside him. Without speaking to each other they were bound by their mutual interest in the sand and the comfort of the quiet and the common energy between them. They shared an unspoken interest in the beauty of the moment and the comfort of proximity. Suddenly without explanation the little boy stood up while grabbing one of the bean bags and subsequently threw the beanbag up and onto the school roof. He was no longer alone as the entire school yard and teacher were suddenly drawn to this boy who had been alone. The teacher blew her whistle and instructed the children to return to the class room. The school had a citizenship score on their report card. A one in citizenship was excellent and a three was failure. Whether it was jealousy of the little boy and girl of their quiet happiness, perhaps judgement or just the opportunity to seize upon the mistake the little boy had made, the teacher asked the class to vote on the little boy’s citizenship grade. It was unanimous, the class voted to give him a failing grade. Forgiveness is often denied by the overwhelming nature of the crowd and their need for judgement. Forgiveness only takes one,

It is hard to find someone that is happy sitting beside you in the sandbox. You don’t need the approval of the other kids because they will have judgement on the way you play and jealousy of your happiness just watching the grains of sand paint a picture of the future.

Moral:

When a beautiful little girl is happy sitting with you in the sandbox and asks for nothing but your company and the exploration of mutual interests - don’t throw a bean bag on the roof and fuck it all up.