In ninth grade, I went to my first non-Adventist school — Forest Lake Christian School.
It was a tough year for me (1980-1981) as my family transitioned out of the Seventh-Day Adventist church and my dad formed Good News Unlimited.
I failed two classes my first semester (Spanish and Algebra) and ended up with a 1.2 GPA. I pulled things together in the second semester, failing no classes and getting no grade lower than a C.
I had a friend at FLCS and I don’t remember his name now. He was just a good guy. One night during the week, I think it was Monday night, we’d listen to KFI top 30 countdown (the station was crystal clear at night throughout the West Coast) and discuss it the next day. We liked similar groups — Chicago, Air Supply, The Motels, etc. He was the rare kid who didn’t make fun of my gentle taste in music.
After I finished ninth grade in June 1981, I never saw the guy again.
When I think about him, I smile and soften up, and I feel love and gratitude.
I tend to go through life with a hard cynical exterior. It usually doesn’t serve me because it discourages people from wanting to connect with me.
When I remember people who were kind to me, that puts me in a better state to connect (with others and with my best self).
