I struggled not with English or math as a child
Nor with getting along with others but I did
Have a problem with holding still. I always would
Tap my fingers and fidget. As hard as I could
I would try not to do it. I couldn’t get rid
Of my habit which many a teacher reviled.

I would do it unconsciously. Teachers would say,
“Stop your tapping, Clint. You’re disrupting the whole class.”
I got sent to the principal many times and
Because he wasn’t me he could not understand
My aberrant behavior. In those days my glass
Was near empty. To myself I wanted to stay.

I believe that a single moment in time can
Change a person’s life in a most positive way.
One day my teacher told me to stay after class
And I thought, “This is it for my fidgety ass.”
But it turned out that he had something kind to say
In our time spent together. He was a good man.

“Clint, have you ever thought about playing the drums?”
He asked me. I had never been asked this before.
Reaching into his desk he pulled out my first set
Of drumsticks. It’s a moment I shall not regret
For today I’m doing what I simply adore.
From the kind heart the blessing of upliftment comes.