My student of the month is all of you, whether you’re the one who’s never student of the month or the one who always is, and you’re like *shrug,* another diamond, *throws it on the pile,* or if you, like most of us, are somewhere in between, unglamorously not in the extremes. If you’re not a poster child for anything if the best-intentioned counsel sounds like platitudes if you can’t quite bring yourself to be obsequious if you’re tired of people telling you what you’re supposed to see when you close your eyes if you miss the days when spaceships landed in the park and clumps of cedars formed a secret grove, protected from the traffic, asphalt, noise, and speed if there’s an ache between your shoulder blades that only goes away when you’re with the ones you love, safe— if it’s been too long since you’ve felt safe if you don’t quite feel like an actual adult, but you’re expected to act like one if people tell you you shouldn’t have anything to complain about but you still feel isolated and sad if you don’t have anyone to tell you that you’re wrong when you tell yourself you’re stupid if they tell you but you don’t believe them if you missed out on today because you couldn’t get out of bed if everyone tells you you’re supposed to go to college and have a good life, but you don’t know how in hell you’re going to get there, or stay there, or if you even want to go there if [[Do not click this link|you genuinely want to learn]], in a world that only rewards prestige if your dreams are held in escrow by compulsory education if you think I’m a fool and you’re willing to tell me why if you only respect me because I have the power to give you a grade if you’ve always done great, still are, don’t see why everyone else isn’t rockin’ it, and you want to use that strength to help someone else if you’re trying to figure out where you’re going to sleep tonight while I’m lying in bed trying to write this if your friend betrayed you if your family betrayed you if your body betrayed you if you betrayed yourself if you’ve been through some shit then you’re my student of the month. If you need a teacher, I’ll do the best i can to help you grow—not because I’m qualified but because I’m here. If you need a scorekeeper, ask someone else.