Whenever a brittle, yet brilliant high school English teacher bullies a Golden Girl beloved by her peers, my wish is that a young man to whom this classmate is very important will confront her tormentor by saying, “Leave her alone, Sister. She has done absolutely nothing to merit this treatment.”
I make this wish that those who can be protectors from bullies summon the courage to shield the gentle and less strong because many years ago I failed to come to the aid of someone who was and remains very dear to me.
She’s still the Golden Girl to those who knew and loved her.
John Alexander Bartelloni is a Virginia Tech graduate with a degree in economics (1975) who finally listened to that nagging voice deep within his soul and matriculated at George Mason University three years ago to pursue a B.A. in English. A senior in more ways than one his first day on campus, he’s been humbled and grown as a result. In the spring of 2011 he completed radiation therapy for prostate cancer; hormone injections continue.
Every day is a gift.
Wish Tank 