Who Influences Our Education?

Its all in what we teach them, therefore it is important who we are. If we leave the task of education to others and abdicate our responsibility of monitoring what they learn and instilling core values then we have to be prepared to take what we get. Those others may be thousands of sources including teachers, mentors, government, friends, music, movies, advertising or strangers.
Until you know what they learning from each one they are all strangers.

This is a true story about a guy who is the kid of one of my friends and has become my friend, who is on his way home from work.

Ryan* ...known him since the day he was born, well mannered, good morals and behavior...developed a “punk” style in clothing, music and style when he was in his early teens. Kinda like we did for Kiss, Rush, Lead Zepp and bomber jackets only now with the Dead Kennedy's and Marilyn Manson. Ryan was taught manners and ethics by his parents, who are by the way closer to the Simpsons than the Cunninghams, the important thing is that they personally taught him right from wrong, giving him a solid framework within which he could collect the souvenirs of the culture around him and a moral compass to help him sort out his own direction in life. As a respectful adult, a nicer young man you'll never meet.

Location: A Bus Stop in front of a Urban Downtown Shopping Mall
Time: 9:00 pm

Characters:
Ryan: 25, Respected Sous Chef, 6'5”, 250lbs, army boots, pierced everything, black ripped skater shorts, leather and denim jacket, chains and patches.
Yout #1: Skateboard kid #1 12-14 yrs old
Yout #2: Skateboard kid #2 12-14 yrs old
Yout #3: Skateboard kid #3 12-14 yrs old
Sensei: Late 20's to Mid 30's male

Ryan*, is sitting waiting for the bus and is approached by three youts with skateboards

{RYAN}; [deep sigh]

{YOUTH#1} “What's in the backpack, huh?”

{RYAN} “Nothing”

{YOUT#1} “Give it to us.”

{RYAN, standing up} “There's nothing in it.”

{YOUT #1} “ Give us the backpack”

{RYAN} “I'm just goin' home, I got nothing”

{YOUT #1, moving around to RYAN's rear} “ We're takin' the backpack”

YOUT #1 swings his skateboard to the back of RYAN's head, unfortunately due to the height differential connects with the shoulder only

YOUT #1 is wide eyed, as if to say “if I hit it, it should have fell down”

RYAN slowly takes off his backpack to set it down and in the same fluid motion kicks YOUT #2 square in the gnards with his steel toed heavy black boot, lifting him off the ground.

YOUT#2 drops to the ground wailing in pain, all hope of future reproduction lost.

YOUT#3 turns and flees

YOUT#1 is still stunned, frozen in the moment.

YOUT#2 pukes and rolls onto his side, grabs his skateboard.

{SENSEI}; (Shouting, as yet unseen from the shadows of the buildings to stage left), “ Hey! I TOLD YOU! YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT!”

{YOUT#2}; (Urgently, struggling to his feet), “C'mon, huh, we gotta get outta here!”

YOUT#1 now visibly afraid, snaps to and helps YOUT#2 with their getaway.

{RYAN}; “Thanks, Man...”

{SENSEI}; “I'm really sorry, bro', that shouldnt've happened. I been trying to teach these kids and've been followin' them...and like they should not have bothered you, huh?”

{RYAN}; “cool...I do appreciate what you did”

[BUSES ARRIVE]

{SENSEI}; “ We been tryin' to bring'm up right, huh? There's lots of old people around, huh, lots of smaller, weaker that can't defend 'emselves like you, huh, so we gotta follow'em, huh, make sure they don't get themselves into trouble, huh, make sure they don't mark the big white guys or the street kids, huh...they'll get'emselves all jammed up if they mark the wrong ones, huh, gotta bring'em up good.”

{RYAN} (prevented by his own upbringing and the disembarking crowd from acting on his first impulse...to now kick Sensei in the junk) “What the fuck, Man?”

{SENSEI} (as Ryan is boarding the bus) “ ya bro' really sorry abou....”

(Sensei's word trail off as the bus doors close)

*names have been changed to protect the Pwner