A Child's Dream Deserves A Chance

I grieved today for a 7th grader, a 7th grader whose life is already mapped out for her at age 13.

Arriving early to class, I discovered that the girl had jotted a short, four-line paragraph on the board, which actually was a stanza of a poem she'd written.

"Do you want to hear more?" she asked excitedly, at which point she proudly recited the rest of her personal masterpiece.

These are the rare moments an English teacher yearns to encounter - a student passionate about writing.

"That's wonderful," I said. "You ought to consider being a poet when you grow up." The girl walked dejectedly to the board and erased her creation. "I can’t," she replied. "My family wants me to go into the medical field."

These are the all-to-common moments teachers dread.

A 13-year-old's dreams should be limitless - climbing Mt. Everest, dancing on Broadway, growing up to be president. Parents are supposed to encourage a child's dreams, not crush them, especially the dreams of a 13-year-old, but all too often teachers hear the familiar refrain of  "but my parents want me to __________." Economic security is certainly an important goal but at what price.

The world has far too many unhappy business people who once dreamed of being actors, or lawyers who thought they'd enjoy farming, or doctors who long ago forgot that they always wanted to write. Dreams shouldn't die in middle school.

When the bell sounded announcing the end of the class, I pulled the child aside and encouraged her to continue her writing, if only as a hobby, as she continues focusing on getting good marks in 7th grade to lay the foundation for success in high school, which, hopefully, will land her in a top-flight university, which might take her all the way to medical school.

But I know what's likely to happen. The 7th grader with a passion for poetry will soon forget her frivolous habit, set her sights on practicality, and one morning, decades from now, wake up and wonder how her life might have unfolded differently if not for her parents insisting on their occupational dream for her life.