Anytime a teen volunteers to work, it signals they might have another agenda. One of my students asked what I was doing after school today and I mentioned I was planning to plant the red tulip bulbs around the large fountain in the middle of the garden; I was surprised when he was quick to volunteer to help.
Communicating with most teenagers is sort of like trying to nail Jello to a wall, but often, when they’re focused on another task, it usually encourages them to open up and share their thoughts.
Once we’d made our way to the garden, I realized we had several after-school volunteers and I really began to wonder what was going on. I had no problem putting them all to work—I had 100 bulbs!
I explained the planting process and scrounged up more hand shovels and a wheel-barrow. “First we need to pull up all the dead annuals, dig a six-inch deep hole, put in a handful of bone meal, plop the tulip bulb in and cover it up,” I directed holding up the tuber. “By the way, there is a right way and a wrong way to plant this so it’s ready to grow.” And I held it out to show them that the tip needed to point up.
“You ask her,” I heard someone whisper on my right.
“No, you ask her: you’re the one who’s worried.”
“Ask me what,” I questioned both speakers and watched as all six of my helpers awaited my response. There was a lot of shifting and stalling going on until I said, “OK, you guys, now you’re scaring me—out with it!”
“It’s not scary or bad,” the youngest one remarked in an attempt to keep me from worrying.
“I’m scared,” one of the others stated.
“Ask her; that’s why we came out here,” the oldest of the group spoke up.
“OK, I’ll tell you,” my most inquisitive student said. “Do you think we’re all going to die December 21st, 2012, like the movie says?” he asked as the spokesman of the group.
It was finally out there. I smiled and waited to answer their question. Gathering more information, I asked, “First, answer for me two questions: One: What makes you think that’s going to happen?”
“Have you heard about the movie with the Mayan calendar thingy? It says the world is coming to an end December 21st, 2012.”
“Yes, I’ve heard about the predictions, but I’m not worried.”
“’Cause you don’t care?”
“No, because I’ve answered the question within myself about where I’m going after I die or if the end of the world happens. I’m not worried because I know where I’ll be December 22nd in either case,” I shared, creating some nods and some confused looks.
It was very quiet for a few moments while they planted the bulbs and composted their thoughts. The spokesman for the group asked, “What was the second question?”
“Does it matter,” I asked as they all stopped and looked at me.
“What do you mean does it matter? If you die, it matters.”
“I agree, but all of us are going to die some day. If you believe that this 2012 date makes sense and it’s going to happen, what do you plan to do between now and then?”
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4 (King James Version)”
There was much discussion regarding how they would spend their last two years doing things they’d always wanted to do, or to try, or places they would visit. “What would you do,” they asked me.
“I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but I would do what I’m doing now. You see, I decided years ago to live my life today as if I didn’t have another day. This way, I will have no regrets when I run out of days . . . , or if the Mayan calendar is correct,” I winked.
“But you don’t think the predictions are true, do you,” the oldest one spoke as if to soothe the group’s fears as well as her own.
“No, I didn’t say that. I said, for me it doesn’t matter if the earth blows up tomorrow or 2012. If you would live your life differently because you believed 2012 is really going to happen, then why aren’t you living your life that way now—just in case?”
“I never thought of that,” one of my prodigy’s commented.
“I know the hype can make everyone concerned, but I’m kind of glad it’s making people think about their futures, maybe question their today as well as their ‘what happens after I die’ philosophy. Maybe it will even make you open your Bible more often,” I teasingly challenged.
They smiled and summed up that I was ‘always in teacher mode’, but asked, “You really wouldn’t do anything different?”
“Well,” I giggled, “I might have chocolate for breakfast, and spend my savings on a trip around the world, but I don’t have to live my life scared. Maybe we should start a countdown to the day, anticipating the celebration, like we do when we’re waiting for Christmas.”
“That’s so cool,” one of them remarked, dropping the bulbs and shovel, and leaving the garden saying, “See you tomorrow.” Obviously his question had been answered.
But the oldest contemplative student of the group remained, rolling a bulb over and over in her hand.
“So thereis a right way and a wrong way,” she smiled and dropped the bulb in the hole. I finished planting the rest of the bulbs praying all of them would grow up the right way and bloom to their best.
Sidebar: Websites explaining 2012 and your future: http://www.pamvincent.upcsites.com/page/page/2419462.htm http://so4j.com/index.php]
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Pamala Vincent is a career teacher and was honored as Teacher of the Year 2004-2007 for Alternative Education in Oregon. Her writing credits include: Gate Keepers at Home, (a woman’s devotional) Ripples of Joy, Birds and Blooms Best of 2005, Nature Camp, and Maxine Marsolini’s Building Better Families. She has recently been published in the Christian Communicator, The Storyteller, and The International Christian Writer, along with winning honorable mention for a Writer’s Digest competition. She can be contacted at www.trecacademy.com.
