You know what really gets my cornucopia of thoughts filled with anger? The fact that all threw my education life I have told one thing and taught another.

 I think we can all agree that there have been countless times teachers have said, “(Insert your name here_________) Why don’t you follow your dreams and do what you want to do?”

Growing up I always believed that. I tried to follow this once so wonderful advice. In class, I would soak up this energy like an unused sponge that was mistakenly dropped into a frat boys water filled sink.  

            Why am I so angry? Why is this such a bad thing? Let me simply say, after high school I have come to realize that this incredible support only comes when your dreams reach an employable “status quote.” Sure, if your dreams are to be a Doctor, Veterinarian, Attorney, Teacher, or heaven forbid, an Accountant… Can someone say, gag me with an IRS forum please? Though these are grand and unreachable dreams for some, it sounds like a sentenced death wish to me.

“Yes Judge, I do plead guilty to stealing that chocolate covered dream of a doughnut, but please give me jail time before making me a financial advisor to General Motors!”

            The moment I tell people outside of my high school education that I want to go into the arts I automatically receive the look of, “What the hell, are you stupid?!” Then with a followed up comment of, “Well, best of luck to you.” Translating into, “What the hell, are you stupid?!”

            What I would like to say to teachers is this, “If you don’t mean what you say, please, stop talking to me.”

How many times have we had teachers trying to be inspirational toward others for their own benefit? I remember having a teacher that was a straight up snob. She then one day came to school with an assignment for us to write in journals about our reading. She went on to say, “You don’t have to write about the reading if you don’t want, but write about your life, maybe even struggles you’ve had.” Then I had to go to the store and buy my own book and write in it. Later that week I watched a movie that just came out in the theaters. The teacher in the movie said to do that exact thing! The teacher in the movie went on to save these inner city kid’s education lives and they succeeded in life. I realized that my teacher was trying to do the same thing.

            A couple problems with this, first, I grew up nowhere near the inner-city. I grew up in a middle class mountain community. Still, I thought, why not write my feelings in this book? I’ll see if she really helps out. You know what happened? NOTHING! She only focused on the students that were stereo typed as the “ghetto kids.” Let me say, that these kids were not underprivileged, they were just rich jerks that wanted to be rap stars and do drugs. You know what those kids are doing now from this teacher’s wonderful attention? Nothing, still trying to be a rapper in their mom’s basement toking up every day. Good job on that one.

            How many teachers just say that load of sheep dip just to tell them self they are awesome. They probably look in the mirror every morning and think about how they failed at their dream of being a chip-n-dale dancer or a peace-core energy specialist and say to themselves following a sigh, “You still took state.” Finger shoot and wink included.  

I truly believe real inspiration comes from humility and true value, not idle sayings to build your own pyramid of “likes” from a Facebook account.

            Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson’s disease, said in an interview recently that was truly inspirational. He was asked was it hard for him to start his new show? He said, “When deciding to do this show I thought to myself, why can’t I? Why not? Why not?”

            Here is a man of true inspiration. So, teachers, if you wish to inspire, please do, but please mean it. If you don’t mean it and are trying to just boost your own self confidence and fight your own lack of achievement then please, stop. Please just teach me about the curriculum and move on. Thank you, and please accept this apple as a sign of my gratitude.