Friday, September 30, 2011

Spasmeno High

I would like to tell you a story about Jack and Jill. We know them because we have been in Jack in Jill’s shoes sometime in our life. Jack a high school superstar in his own mind and Jill a princes. Both had hopes and dreams of a grand life. Their life as children was filled with activities with friends and family. Their parents had the best in mind for them never wanting them to experience the real struggles of life. As they grew up their parents supported them by sending them to the best schools in the area.  These parents were thinking that the teachers would teach about how to be successful in life and avoid the pitfalls this world brings. So here is the story about Jack and Jill.

Jack went to Spasmeno High where he was a one of the boys that stuck our in the crowd. He was the captain of the football team. All the girls wanted Jack at their party, because if he was there they would be in the popular crowd. Jack was a humble young man never viewing himself as above any of his peers.

One day Jack noticed Jill a very attractive young lady who was not stuck on herself. He was immediately attracted to her. He had never felt this way before, but he really wanted to get to know Jill. He began watching her and learning her schedule. When he was around her he was always nervous. He did not understand this. One day he got up enough nerve to speak to her. His voice cracked his palms got sweaty but Jill responded with a smile and hello.

As the weeks unfolded Jack and Jill began to speak often in the halls and at lunch. Yes young love was blooming at Spasmeno High and it was all the talk. Soon Jack wanted to express his love for Jill and gave to her his letterman’s jacket and class ring. Jill was so excited that Jack wanted to give to her, his most prized processions as a sign of his love for her.

Jack’s football season was one of his best and all the college scouts were knocking at his door offering to him a chance for a great life. Jill just knew that the two of them would always be together. She had practiced writing her name with his last name. When she was around all her girl friends she would just talk about the future with Jack.

One morning during the spring Jack was coming into the school and noticed a beautiful young lady who he had never seen. He opened the door for her, said hello, she smiled walked in and tuned to him and said my name is Sally do you know where room 201 is? Jack said, is that your homeroom? She smiled again and said yes. Jack smiled back that is my homeroom I will show you. They walked to his locker and he introduced Jill to Sally the new girl and off they went to their homeroom.

On the way they talked about where she was moving from and what her old school was like. Jill told her about her schedule and the teachers she was going to have what they were like and said that she would look for her during their lunch period.

For Sally, this could have not been a better day. She made friends and it seem that this was going to be a great school to make friends. Over the next few weeks Jack, Jill and Sally would meet at the lockers in the morning and walk to class. Sally thought Jack was a great guy and Jill was lucky to have such nice boyfriend. Jill introduced Sally to a few guys, but she was not really interested in them. She had her eyes on Jack.

Jack was starting to grow tired of Jill’s constant plans of the future. Everyday Jack and Jill would hang out with each other at Jill’s house, because both of her parents worked and she was an only child. They would make out in her room, because this is what people do, when they love each other. At least this is what they thought.

One afternoon, Jack told Jill that famous phrase. Jill I believe we are growing apart. It’s not you, it’s me. Jill was shocked. What do you mean? We are always together. You were my first. Why are you doing this to me? What about the prom? How, could this be, she cried. Jill was devastated. Then Jack did the next hardest thing. Jill can I have my letter-mans jacket and ring back?

Jill threw the ring at him ran to her room got his jacket. She began to think that if she could just have some time to talk to him she could convince him that this was not what he really wanted. When she came back to the door she told Jack that she would give him some space, if he would agree to come over the next day to talk. He said okay took his jacket and ring and left.

The next day Jill was at his locker like normal and walked with him and Sally to homeroom. Jack paused at the door of homeroom asked Jill to stay in the hallway, while Sally entered the classroom. Jack told Jill this is not the space that he thought he was going to get. Jill pleaded with him to come over again Jack agreed but said please give me my space.

The whole day Jill acted as though nothing had happen, but by lunch everyone knew because Jack had let the cat out of the bag. Now Jill was be approached by close friends I sorry to hear that you and Jack broke up how are you doing? Jill was filled with every emotion that you could image. The emotions that ran through her mind throughout this day were anger, depression, denial, scheming thoughts of how to get them back together, worry, fear, loss, and brokenness.

By the end of the day, Jill had told some of the girls and guys in their group how Jack broke up and as you could image there started to grow a division among their group. Girls that were close to Jill dating guys in their group spoke harsh words about Jack and told their boyfriends that they could not hang out with him. However, they were not happy about this he was the star and the guy that everybody wanted to be around. Throughout the day Jack was getting dirty looks from some of the girls and the guys were saying things like she not worth it you can do better. The other girl that had her eyes on Jack took every chance she got that day to show him she was there for him.

Jack had brought a few thing's of Jill to school that day. He wanted to get these things out of his life so he could move on with his life. He was going to give them to her that afternoon however, the way the day was falling apart he felt like he wanted this to all be over. So during one of the early breaks he asked Sally to get a message to Jill to meet him at his locker after lunch. She said, "sure anything to help get you through this day." Jack met Jill after lunch and gave to her a box of trinkets of love notes and teddy bears. He told her, 'it is over' and that he was not coming over, because he did not want to put up with all the drama.

Spasmeno High that day was full of talk about the relationship that seemed so right but ended with people choosing side as to who was going to be friends with whom. It seem like the whole school that day was in mourning for the relationship that was shattering so many relationships.

Jack and Jill over the weeks ahead treated each other like they were at war. Jill calling him names in the hallway Jack responding back with words that colored her reputation. You would think that a teacher or a wise friend would pull these two aside and help them. But sides had been chosen and there was no turning back now. The big event was just around the corner. Prom.

The prom was just a month away and Jack wanted to go so he decided to ask Sally if she would go to the prom with him. Sally was excited inside, and said "sure anything to help you get through this year."

What is odd about this story is that it tells the real facts about broken love, life, and relationships. How Spasmeno High is a place to learn about how to divorce love and embrace no commitments. How to indulge in life matters as a child without respect of purity of each other. The question is, when is Spasmeno High going to graduate a class that has not felt the blows of broken relationships?

If you are a parent think now of how you can encourage your child to not get involved in adult matters of the heart that end with the reality of learning how to divorce well. If only we could stop the madness of parents letting their kids learn life the hard way. Never learning to get to know each other without sex, learning to commit, trust, and rely without experiencing brokenness. I hope and pray that you guard your child’s heart from the reality of life’s early hardships.  

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