Differences

Everybody knows school sucks. But still, generation after generation people make their kids go through the same thing. I do not understand it. Will I understand when I turn eighteen?

Anyway, I think I hardly ever learned anything at school. But I remember very clearly one day when I did. It was when a new kid came to town and we were all talking in the cafeteria, trying to get to know him.

After all the standard questions about which house they live in, how he gets to school and whether he likes our little town (we are all VERY proud of our little town, so proud it almost makes me puke), he finally said something new.

”The only weird thing about your town,” he said, “And I mean it in a good way, is the giant Jesus. I love that. How long have you guys had that?”

I trembled a little at the thought of Jesus. He was big, maybe a hundred feet tall, maybe much larger, and gray, as if made of stone. He walked around slowly, sometimes down Main Street, sometimes among the farms, blessing everything. No matter where you were in town, you could always see him. I sometimes had nightmares about him and sometimes I shared them with my friends. They sometimes told me about their Jesus nightmares too. But sometimes I did not tell anybody because I thought they would not approve. I know some people would never approve.

”Yeah, we’ve had Jesus with us for fifty years” said Molly, “Some say longer. Why, it’s the pride and joy of our community.”

We all nodded our heads.

”Where I am from,” said the new kid, “It’s the President walking around, greeting people."

"Does he ever lean in with his ear?” asked Bender, “The way Jesus does?"

"Yeah, he stops and listens to people’s complaints sometimes."

"When Jesus stops and listens,” said Tony, “People share confessions of sin, or pray for their loved ones. Or pray to go to heaven."

"I wonder if every town has one of those,” said Claire.

I sat back after hearing all that. I knew I learned something very important right there and then. That the President was real. And he was out to get us, just like Jesus was.

Posted by: Paweł Kowaluk