Principal Encounter

Danny was my friend in elementary school. He was cool. He had a flippant attitude that screamed rebellion, but in fourth grade, that seemed cool. We hung out together at recess, at lunch, and even sometimes after school. I never went to his house to play or for a sleep over and I never thought about it until now. I've never asked my parents if they knew something about him or his parents that prevented that. Then again, maybe it just never happened.

One event, though, sticks in my memory that helped me understand Danny. In elementary school, after lunch depending on the weather, they would send us outside or to the gym to play. Unlike today, we had more than one recess during the day (and we didn't turn out bad!). One nice, but chilly, fall day they had sent us outside to play. Danny had forgotten to get his hat from his locker in the classroom so he asked me to go with him into the school and get it. So I went.

We were supposed to remain on the playground during recess, under the watchful eyes of the playground monitors (teachers with whistles) and not go into the building. But because he had a cold head we went anyway. We simply went into the room (where we knew we weren't supposed to be), got his hat, and left, but as we left, Danny accidentally tripped on a desk, fell against several of them which then moved. Now one row was obviously out of order, and in Mrs. Roudebush's room, nothing was to be out of order. We went back to the playground and continued our recess (and Danny had a warm head.).

As the whistle blew and we reentered the classroom, the disorder was obvious and Mrs. Roudebush was not happy. She was seeking answers. Before long it was me who was called out into the hallway not only to discuss the room's condition with my teacher, but also with the school principle, Mr. Roudebush. (at this point you have to understand that Mr. Roudebush was this massive man to a fourth grader. He was tall, and stern, a man who demanded respect and got it. He could put the fear of God into almost anybody, at least me! He was also a kind and just man, a great leader for our school and community.)

Long story not so short, after my explanation of why we were in the classroom when we shouldn't be, that nothing else happened that day, nothing stolen, no horseplay, just two kids getting a hat on a cold day, I'm the one that got the lecture. I'm the one that got into trouble, even if it was only to talk to the principle about keeping the rules. Danny never did. He sat in the classroom and laughed at me. He didn't come to my rescue, didn't confess, he just left me hanging.

I learned something that day about friendship, about what my parents taught me about obedience and doing right, about who to hang out with and who not to. I stopped hanging out with Danny after that day. He moved away a year or so later and I never saw him again, but I do know this, Danny helped me choose my friends in a different way after this and the choices I made, although not all perfect, were much better. I didn't want to be marked a "bad" kid or a troublemaker so I chose my friends based on what I saw in them, who I wanted to be known as. And I have tried to keep that practice.

What I have discovered is that this makes all the difference. The person we become has a lot to do with the people we hang out with. I've heard it said many times from people who were in trouble, "I had these friends." It starts here, both good and bad.

God's challenging us to surround ourselves with the right people so that when we say those words, "I had these friends," we are talking about our successes not our failures. Where we celebrate our friends, not blame them. The choice of who we are and who we become is up to us and one of the greatest influences is who our friends are.

"A good person survives misfortune, but a wicked life invites disaster." (Proverbs 12:26, The Message)

Peace ><>
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