Another Day at School

Ms. Shoemaker, the teacher, asked her 9th grade Social Studies class, what would you do if you ruled the world?

"If I ruled the world... I would unite all the nations of the world..."

John hated artificial divisions between people. He hated nations, nationalism, social cliques, religions, neighborhoods, privileged clubs, racial stereotypes, and social classes. Having given his answer to Ms. Shoemaker's question, John went back to his teenage doodles, imagining what the world would be like if he ruled it...

... everyone under the same banner... proudly cheering him on, the leader of the entire world... all under the nation of Johnland... nah, too lame... ... Johnsville? ... sounds like something from the 50s...

John took another pointless walk home; it was another boring day. John had taken this walk sooooo many times now--always the lightpoles, the trees with varying shades of green, the cookie-cutter, egg-white buildings, and the lonely street he walked on to get home. Hopefully, school will be over soon.

As John walked into the house, he saw his mom and dad sitting on the old, tattared "hand-me-down" couch. John's mother sat on the edge of the couch, looking to the LCD TV in awe and horror. John's father, however, was standing and pacing, his eyes also locked on the TV. John asked, "what is happening?" His dad shushed him, pointing to the TV. The TV showed a young college student blocking a tank from getting to a protest rally.

"Oh god... this is why I'm glad we moved... This is terrible," John's mother groaned... afraid for the protester's life...

"Are you kidding? This is great! This is power! This is fighting! ...The will of one expressing the will of many... This will show the government, finally..." John's dad threw back at his wife, galvanized and fired up from watching this lone protester. The colossal tank mindlessly barreled towards its destination, uncaring and blind to what's in front of it. A young man stood, small compared to the threatening tank treads. The tank threatened to run over the young man. As small as the young man appeared on the TV, in the young man's mind, he was an immovable object, standing in front of a stoppable force.

John couldn't help but be transfixed on the lone protester... what was he thinking? Why would he do that?... And, how is he actually able to stop the tanks?... Does it really only take one person to stop the tanks?...

John remembered the class assignment Ms. Shoemaker gave. If John ruled the world, would people try to fight his changes to the world. Would John have to use force to rule the world? Would protesters stand in front of his tanks?

John walked up to his room, fell on his bed... thought about people... and how they fight... how they disagree more than agree... and maybe, he thought: it would be better for him not to rule the world.