I Funny: A Middle School Story

“But you know what they say: ‘If life gives you lemons, learn how to juggle.’

Or, even better, learn how to make people laugh.”

Jamie’s narration is full of humor, and he often likes to mix metaphors and play with clichés, creating whimsical new sayings out of familiar adages. Jamie constantly finds himself Using Humor as a Survival Tool to combat all of the pain that he feels and sees around him. Despite the hardships in his past and his present, Jamie always looks on the bright side of every situation.

“Now, like all the other schools I’ve ever attended, the hallways of Long Beach Middle School are plastered with all sorts of NO BULLYING posters. There’s only one problem: Bullies, it turns out, don’t read too much.”

With a wry tone, Jamie points out the unfortunate irony in the fact that anti-bullying posters do not deter those who neglect to read them. His comment also highlights the general pointlessness of such posters when malicious bullying behavior proceeds unchecked on multiple occasions. While the intentions of the posters are good, the results fall flat.

“I’m not the kid in the wheelchair anymore (and not just because Stevie knocked me out of it). I feel normal, and normal feels absolutely amazing.”

Jamie has only been using a wheelchair for a year, and he is still wavering between longing for the life he used to have and Challenging the Social Stigma of Disability. As a result, Jamie fights hard against pity and resents any indications of special treatment, and he relishes each occasion that allows him to feel like any other person, even if some of those occasions are inherently unpleasant.