A Special Smile

A Special Breed

These are only three -there are, many many more.





Left Top: Kevin Carlin

Left Below: The Lovely Debbie Hanney
(Yr 2006)

Top Right: Ricky Rice


There were certain people in high-school that helped make 'young' life endurable.

Now don’t get me wrong. High-School was and is a good place, -but not for everyone.

There are those who ‘got it’ quick and did not have to worry. They understood the rule –the real rule. You know… “don’t get in the teacher's way, do your homework, don’t laugh too hard at the expense of authority and you’ll be O.K.”.

But there were many in high-school who did not, “get it”.
They came from another walk of life –the hard road traveled.
They chose to speak up when things looked wrong; chose to be “the tail that wagged the dog”. They did not fear for loss. They did not cave under the threat of “detention after school”. They had already gotten "it", the harsh version, from outside – from their own worlds and experiences.

Now, somewhere, between those who “got it” and those "who chose the harsher reality”, were another -most unique breed, -those who navigated a different path. They were “here and now” and had the ability to enjoy, if not savour, their experience, without being "crunched" by those taken up with their own sense of "authority" or "power" in the classroom. They also seemed to escape with nary a scratch, outside, from those who of a different rule and authority.

These unique souls knew a language of survival- humour- "make them laugh!"- make the teacher laugh, make the students laugh, -and keep safe distance.

These marvels seemd imbued with a sixth sense – a ‘wisdom beyond years’.
These people somehow knew where a situation "hinged" and where the lever of force lay.
These people knew-that with just the right amount of humility, perhaps a dash of self deprecation and large amount of humour, an entire unpleasant episode could be turned into-a memory, a funny story, something we might cherish -forever -legend!

We all knew a number of these people and loved them secretly and dearly for their ability and how they made us feel under circumstances, which were not always 'the best', but were never 'the worst' by any means, simply because of their existence and blend in our social fabric .