Sometimes, a boy feels alone. He spends many a yard time alone, an isolated member of the school community.

Sometimes, he is alone because he is too nervous to try to interact, too overwhelmed with the rush and tumble of a wide open yard, too overwhelmed by shyness, frustration, and negative thoughts. He has tried before, but failed, or has thought of trying and then has given up because someone has decided to wind him up.

Sometimes, he tells himself that it’s better to be alone because it seems easier. It’s easier to avoid people, then you don’t have to deal with the nonsense, you don’t have worry about making a fool of yourself, saying the wrong thing or, worse yet, losing control and lashing out at someone, so better to wander alone.

Sometimes, however, he is alone because his peers, his classmates, the boys he played with when he was younger do not realise that they need to reach out to him still, even at the age of 11 or 12. Continue reading “Story of a Schoolyard” →