memoir

In a song, a famous rapper named Eminem, also known as Slim Shady, asked listeners if they had “ever been hated or discriminated against...”. Well Mr. Shady, my answer to your question is “yes.” I have gone through moments in my lifetime in which i was extremely furious with individuals.

            To recall a particular situation in which I was pre-judged on what I assumed was my appearance, I would have to think back to two-thousand and five. It was my first year in junior high school, and I was excited, but I was still hesitant to walk into my first classroom. I forced myself into the classroom, and sat through the class for the designated hour, and I realized that it was not so bad. I did the same for my next two classes, and I figured that junior high school would be a breeze. However, when I entered my clas after lunch, assuming my classes would not be so tough, I was proven wrong. As my teacher took attendance for the first time, she thought she heard noises. She looked up, pointed into the sea of student along the east wall, which I nicknamed the Atlantic, and shouted, “You, stand up!” For clarification, I pointed to myself and innocently asked, “Me?” The teacher firmly replied, “yes, you hooligan, you!” In shock, I stood up. The tyrant asked me for my name, and I replied, “Travis Armstrong, ma’am.” She then continued to say, “Well, Mr. Armstrong, I knew that we would have problems in this classroom once you walked in. I do not put up with foolishness; I will not hesitate to send you to the office. Now, be quiet while I am taking roll!”

I was in disbelief of what I had just heard. I realized that we all wore the same clothes, because we wore uniforms at our school. So I did not know why she would assume that I would act badly in her class. Respectfully, I told the woman, “Alright ma’am. I understand that, but I believe that you are accusing the wrong person.” The teacher proceeded to send me to the principal’s office.