Ian McMichael

May 19, 2007

Final Project, Language Arts

Proofreading: about 20 minutes

Looking back, I can see more clearly how the Friends School of Atlanta influenced my growth into what I am now. In the first year, I learned the basics of social interaction, as well as how to write and do basic math. Each year, academics increased in complexity but built upon skills learned during the previous years.

As I learned more about academics, I continued to learn about social interaction. For instance, during lunch times, break times, and recesses, my friends and I had a chance to talk and play. “Capture the Flag” is a game that, while being a lot of fun, taught me strategy as well as conflict resolution. Talking is a lot better than yelling when there’s a difference of opinion!

Some of my teachers at FSA were not members of the faculty. Tom Dunn taught me that math can be interesting and applied in the real world. Others were faculty members and gave me extra time outside of school to help me with things I had trouble with. For instance, both Cara and Sara spent time helping me with handwriting. I will use their gift all my life, even though I now do most of my work on a computer. Wayne taught me how to sew, and that a hug can be an affirmation. Marc gave me valuable organizational tips while he let me organize him (it is odd, how I am terrible at organizing myself, but I can always organize someone else). Cball can turn problems into opportunities, teach difficult language concepts, and make painful things more bearable.

Each day, I bring things in, gain things, and leave things behind. On my way to school, I physically carry a lunchbox and a pack. Less physically, I carry some wisdom and a supply of energy. The wisdom tells me what to or not to do (sadly, it is rather slow to absorb some things, like time management). The energy is what enables me to do work, absorb knowledge, and change experience to wisdom.

Each day I use some of the energy to create knowledge. I also leave energy behind in the physical form of essays, artwork, and other assignments. When I leave something behind I try to make sure that it is/will be received well, because I want to be remembered well.

Each day, in addition to my lunchbox and pack, I carry home knowledge for wisdom to employ, subtle-experiences-whose-value-I-had-not-noticed to be converted into wisdom, and energy that I accumulated during the day.

In addition to the assignments, essays, and artwork I leave behind, I also leave memories attached to places (like the red splash marks from an unexpected encounter in the multipurpose-room/warehouse). You would see these places differently if you knew exactly where to look, as these signs are not easily visible.

I will take Silent Meetings with me from the school because they are a way for me to take two steps back and see what I need to do next. My memories of help and kindness will also be with me to remind me that when I fall, there will be plenty of hands to help me up again. I will also take a few valuable lessons that I learned: a little kindness can go a long way but needs to be practiced with wisdom because it may have unexpected outcomes; that though something may seem to have no purpose in doing, you may simply not be seeing the purpose; that there are things that happen in-school just for fun (like Spirit Week). I will take these with me because I will need reminding of these things.

I brought with me my unique sense of humor, my art, my style of thought, my quickness (a few people think I can run through solid objects, or past warp speed), and my unique spirit to the school. I am leaving my part in the semi-kinetic sculpture, the stage and the donkey-head-constellation banner; memories connected to places; memories with teachers and students; memories of good times with my buddy Alan.

My experiences during the nine years I’ve been at the Friends School have been extremely educational, with surprising contrasts and juxtapositions: serious and silly, quick and slow, easy and difficult. These experiences are quite like me, too: full of surprises. This leaves me with a question: do the experiences make the person, or does the person make the experiences? My answer? Definitely!