Adam

He walks into class as though he has every confidence in his directional capabilities; as though this is where he is supposed to be. His height is not intimidating, but everyone notices. His smile, when visible, emulates warmth.


From afar, he is unpredictable—strangers often are. He is not so foreign, however, for he is an acquaintance. This title brings with it an air of superficial familiarity, and the remembrance of friendliness. In no way does he seem perturbed by others’ opinions of him, choosing instead to take everything as it comes. Of course he has friends: it simply cannot be any other way. That is not to envy him, but rather to state a fact. Some people are known to have friends. Perhaps it is a stereotype (a very likely assessment), but it stands as truth for him. The backpack he carries is full of books from his other classes—an obvious sign of a studious person, or one who has a full day of classes ahead of him. His gait is reminiscent of one who is on a long journey: slightly bent and leaned forward, as though fighting moderate winds. Still, in spite of the storm, the smile flashes on occasion.


He greets me. I am not enthralled, as though he is about to give me a large sum of money; only pleased to be greeted by a pleasant person in the morning. He starts towards the front of the classroom— an indication of either wanting to makes sure to pay attention during class, or wanting others to think he does; the former is certainly more accurate. The entrance does not stop the show, as it were, but heads do turn. Oh, hey, some gesture with slight nods or smiles or both. Then they return to preparing their own materials for the coming lecture. In making the journey toward his seat, the inner confidence and purpose is evident in his stride. He sits down, and someone may start a conversation:

He is doing well. Yes, he slept well, though maybe not adequately, and he has no complaints. Yes he did the homework for today. It was not terribly arduous, and besides, it took only a couple of hours. She is also well. She went to sleep at 9:30 and barely got up for class, although the night was far from restful for her. The homework was okay. She happens to like this class.Class starts in a few minutes. He removes his items with the assurance that accompanies a student who knows his books and folders by their touch. He does not need to look in order to find his stationery—of course it is in his pocket. His pen is not fancy by any means, because it just needs to accomplish its job. It does not have to have a recorder built into it, nor a multiple-ink-selection capability. The same applies for his choice of pencil. There is no need for a giant of a pencil with a similar eraser. It does what it needs to do.


As he sits, he prepares himself for the coming class session. It is almost time to pay attention to the professor, when he comes of course. There is a natural patience about his posture in the desk. “Whatever happens will happen”, as the saying goes. If it is negative, he seems like the one with whom one might come with their troubles. He looks as though he could listen to someone’s problems with absolute serenity. Then, he would go about solving the problem to the best of his capabilities, whether the situation calls for comforting speech, or other means. If it is positive, he is the one to whom that same individual could freely share their joys or successes and expect congratulations and other affirmative gestures, without fear of envy or gossip. At the same time he looks as if he could sit on the porch of an old countryside house, drinking a glass of water and enjoying the afternoon breeze. There may even be a hint of pensiveness in his facial expression, complimenting the inner preparedness.

His name is Adam, and this is his first year. He really is a nice guy—some might even say swell. The aforesaid is only a glimpse at a guy who has great potential for success. If nothing else can be said, for, indeed, nothing more may be said from my perspective, his journey has brought him to college. That lends itself to some positive suggestions of his life. I should get to know him better. Besides an acquaintance, he may even become a good friend. It is time for class.