Extraordinary 16 year old graduates High School 2 years early

Joshua Green is not your typical 16 year old. While most kids his age are deeply involved with their myspace pages, the latest gossip, and football games -- Joshua finds himself out in the real world. And while he may not yet be a real "adult," Joshua was recently bestowed with an honor that most grown-ups likely dream about, especially as middle age creeps up and they refelct back on opportunities not taken, and dreams long since dead.

The faculty and staff of Middle Odessa High School recently decided mid semester, that they could no longer give Joshua anything of value, and he was awarded a high school diploma two and a half years shy of his natural date of graduation. This was not due to any outstanding academic achievement, Joshua actually rarely attended classes -- he only completed an average of about 10% of his classwork, and he can barealy read -- but none the less he was allowed to graduate early, because, he is, as the principal ofMiddle Odessa High Gary Shuler says "Too cool for school."

Principal Shuler recalls a fourteen year old Joshua as a freshman as " Cocky, a bit arrogant" But also stated that he really admired him.

"Joshua stood up for what he believed in. It didn't matter that what he believed in was pounding beers on the football field during first period, or smoking in the boys room. Those really aren't important things in the long run. But he did it with such style. A real eff the man attitude, you know?"

When I asked Principal Shuler how he could appreciate Joshua's "eff the man" attitude, when he himself, is in fact "the man" he responded "This goes beyond the normal faculty student thing. I mean, I consider myself a "cool principal" anyway. Josh just transended all that. He reminds me of myself at that age. Sure, I didn't have the chisseled good looks, or devil may care attitude and I hadn't banged the whole Junior Varsity cheer squad, but it was in there, that attitude. I think he's just an inspiration."

Apparently the Drama club felt this way also. Terri Contreras, the faculty advisor for the Drama Club recalls how she first met Josh.

"I was walking to my car to pick something up for third period, and Josh was leaning on my car, smoking a cigarette he had rolled himself. The teacher in me knew that I had to discipline him, but he was just so... so James Dean. He looked at me as I approached with a real dismissive look -- and it made me nervous! I can't beleive I'm telling you this! Here I am a thirty nine year old woman getting nervous over a fifteen year old." Terri's face was turning a bit red. A slight smile crept up her face as she continued,

"I asked him very sternly to get off my car" she said, shaking her head with a smile, remebering the moment with the nostalgia usually reserved for when one discusses the wild times of their youth.

"Then he said with that voice of his 'Shut up bitch' Then he dropped the cigarette and sauntered away. Joshua doesn't walk. He saunters." she said, in an almost sexual way.

Terri continued on saying this exchange inspired her to bring the idea of staging "Rebel Without a Cause" at the school with Josh in the role that James Dean played.

"The drama students were very excited about this. Unfortunately, when we asked Josh about it he said that it was really gay, and that he would never do it. Then he spit at me."

Not one to take no for an answer, and fully aware of the fact that Josh was quite simply a classic character -- one that needed to be immortalized in some form of art -- she decided to have a few of her students -- that were aspiring writers -- try to get closer to Josh so that they could gather enough information to write a play about him.

This proved very difficult.

"I had three students, they weren't following him exactly, but they had classes with him, so I knew it would be easy for them to capture his essence. "

One of them was fifteen year old Sherry Madison. Sherry had remedial math with Joshua, and sat right behind him in class. She was a shy girl, cute, though she did little to showcase her looks. Terri recalls "Sherry was really nervous about it, but she knew that his story had to be told, so she soldiered on. She was really brave. I wish she was still around but, you know things happen to kids."

Apparently Joshua took a liking to Sherry also. Not in public at least -- where he could often be seen berating her, or ripping up her homework in class -- but he did allow her to come to visit him in his basement room at his father's house. This is where their interviews took place.

Terry said it was about three months later that Sherry started showing signs of pregnancy. She came from a very strict Catholic family, so as you would imagine, her parents were not at all pleased. The last anyone has heard of her, she was at a boarding school in New Hampshire. Most likely she had an abortion. Terry says she felt sorry for the girl, but can understand what happend to her because "There is just something really appealing about Josh." Terri not knowing for sure whether or not Sherry had an abortion claimed to be curious as to what Joshua's child would look like. "Probably really hansome" she said.

The second writer Terri put on the Job was seriously beaten by Josh. One student who witnessed the brutal fracus remembers Josh shouting "Stop following me you fag" as he pummeled poor Timothy Grayson. No charges were filed in the beating.

It seems that Joshua's sway doesn't end at the school parking lot. Detective Harold Mancini who was assigned to the case stated that "Joshua felt that he was being stalked by this boy. If we had known about this earlier, we possibly could have prevented it, but boys will be boys you know. If we can take anything from this really, its that you shouldn't mess with Joshua Green. He's a real stand up kid."

In trying to get to the bottom of what it was the made Josh "too cool for school" I attempted to interview his father, Bill Green. Bill is an ex-Navy fighter pilot turned succesful real estate agent. He denied my request for an interview. A neighbor who requested anonymity out of fear that Joshua would beat up her daughter if her name was printed in this article, spoke of Josh's mother as one possible reason that he is so badass.

"She was real pretty, a stunner. She was a flight attendant. Bill met her when he was flying down to Cabo for one of those wild weekends of his. Josh was concieved at 35,000 feet over the Sea of Cortez. They got married the next day in a little village outside of Cabo. But those two, they had the gypsy gene. They were ramblers. It would have never worked out. I don't think Josh sees her much.

This infomation made sense, as Josh sometimes looked to older women to satisfy his needs. Two female teachers have been "suspended indeffinitely" over supposed trysts with Josh. Many faculty and students declined to speak on the subject out of fear of Josh. When I asked Principal Shuler how he felt about the fear that Josh struck in the students he said "Law an order among the kids is a tough thing to achieve. Josh is like the constition around here. I really wish I could know his secret. If I could bottle it I'd be a rich man."

Joshua wouldn't speak to me, except for a few choice expletives, so it is unclear exactly what he will do now that he is out of school. The ever romantic drama advisor thinks he is going to hit the road.

"Those eyes of his. They say still water run deep. I think he's going to see the world. He could probably be a model or something. I wouldn't be surprised if I open a magazine soon and see him modeling for Versace. Hopfully he'll remember us"

Not likely it seems. Joshua was a bit of a graffiti artist. He would often scrawl on the wall or lockers of his alma mater things like 'This school and everyone in it are total fags" or "Fuck this place in the ass" or even "Green was here"

Jealousy was a common emotion elicited by Joshua in the other boys at the school. Especially the Juniors and Seniors. Joshua has in his High School career stolen the girlfriends of the following: captain of the football team (JV and Varsity), homecoming king, ASB president, captain of Varsity Women's Softball, and most famously the Varsity baseball coach.

The contraversy surrounding this was possibly Joshua's most famous exploit, not only for the fact that he stold an adult man's companion, but of what it unearthed. The coach's girlfriend was a minor. She was seventeen at the time of their relationship. The coach, who cannot be named here for legal reasons, was quite upset at having been upstaged by the student. Letting his passion got the best of him, he confronted Joshua during a baseball game. Joshua, was of course, not at the game as a spectator, but just hanging out and smoking his hand rolled cigarettes -- in spite of the obviously places sign stating that tobacco use was prohibited within one mile of the school.

The public confrontation was witnessed by nearly 100 spectators. Though it is surely a horrendous offense, consorting with a minor, one would think that the coach would have excercised some degree of self preservation and at least waited for a more private moment when confronting Josh. One student who wishes to remain anonymous remembers Joshua yelling out

" I didn't even like that bitch. She was all up on my shit man. She came to me"

Principal Shuler, who broke up the school yard scuffle says "It was an unfortunate event for all involved. If only Josh could contain his animal like attraction abilities, quite a few lives could have been salvaged. Lives have been ruined. The whole thing reminded of Paris and Menelaus from the Odyssey, kind of."

Despite of this Josh was recently awarded a place in the Middle Odessa High School hall of fame where he will sit immortally with other alumni of note such as the inventor of Clear Pepsi and Jimmy Mills, who runs a local car dealer ship. A source close to Joshua says that he calls the honor "So fucking lame" and "Total bullshit."

Some may disagree with his methods, and his Iron Fist mentality, but can anyone really deny that he is at his core, a man in full, one that knows what he wants at any one moment. For all of the good and bad that Joshua has done at the school; all the lives he has affected both postitively and negatively, the hearts and noses he has broken -- there is something above all of that, small and universal at the same time -- that we can all take away from young Joshua. It is not easy to gain the respect of and entire staff of Educators, and it is not easy to navigate the shark filled waters of a High School campus. Joshua Green did this with an ease of grace. He is the dream, he is the personification of what we all hope to be. Free, dangerous, beautiful. Time may fade his influence on Middle Odessa High School -- but for now, at least, it is impossible to walk down the hallway and not see students of all grade levels attempting to affect the Joshua Green swagger, and his devil may care attitude. You can practically hold the sorrow in the hearts of all of the women, young and old, of Middle Odessa High left in his abscence. And that's what we all want deep down isn't it? T be respected, to be cool, to be at the forefront of a fleeting time and place... I salute you Joshua Green, you are truly "Too Cool for School."

What are they holding on to?

The clothes you wear, that you know puts you at the forefront of style and forever -- you are there. baby, you are riding that wave. You just don't know it yet. Would you still exist if the club's multi colored flashing lights that bounce in time with thumping music didn't reflect off your glittery make up and shiny shirt?

There is something inside all of us, don't fight it, babe. The Iraqi refugee trudging through the mountains with nothing to drink but his own piss, and nothing to eat but grass knows it. But at least you got style. We're all gonna die sometime. Even you. And your immortal cool, purchased, of course, will not save you. It's nature you simple being. Simple, simple, simple. This battle has been fought before, and on a much greater scale, with a higher purpose. Don't worry if you can't comprehend it.

You're up on the latest causes. That peace sign that you drop... are you against the war, or did it just come to you one night in a vision of yourself afire? There are just a few style makers, friend. The rest, are just stlye takers. It's all very simple under the lights isn't it?

Cover that hole. It's just too dark and deep to look at now. The washed out looks and wrinkled skin will come someday, and a dark cloud will be with it. It may not be apparent on the surface. Maybe you will beat your child. Maybe you will sleep around and nothing will be good enough, because that hole goes on forever.

Once the book is closed it cannot be opened again. But at least, for a moment, you were able to buy some style.

The day we almost lost a saint

It was July 15 1989. Seattle, Washington. In the rainy Northwest town things were brewing that would change the face of technology and music worldwide. But on this day the city's most detrimental force was not economic or musical. This was something devious, which threatend the face of peace and goodwill of our times. It was not widely publicized, and is hardly spoken of today. This was the day that the earth nearly lost one of its most caring and beloved -- "The Saint of the Gutters," Mother Teresa.

Though she had faced innumerable atrocites with great power of will -- famine, genocide -- and managed to remain faithful in her cause of helping the downtrodden of the world, it was this day that a chink in the saintly armour was found. It was not an evil warlord who exposed this, it was not innocent bloodshed. The events of this day though, rocked the very core of her beliefs.

Mother Teresa was in Washington speaking to a group that had donated a substantial sum of money to her cause. After her speaking engagement she was invited by the CEO of one the organizations to visit his company's Seattle location.

And so it was, Mother Teresa visited a Costco wholesale store at the height of rush hour on a Saturday, and saw a part of human nature that nearly caused her to stop helping others out of sheer disgust for the human race.

At first, she was taken by the sheer size of the Costco store. She had never seen such a place. Endless isles filled with oversized portions of sundried tomatoes and forty five pound bags of chips. "I hope all people will someday be able to get sustenance with such ease" she said.

As she continued through the store, she passed an elderly Latina woman behind a porable kiosk who asked her, "Sample?" Teresa graciously excepted a bite sized piece of microwaveable Southwest Burrito from the woman. She bit into it and smiled, enjoying the spicy interplay of meat, cheese, and salsa.

It was at this time that thirty five year old Seattle resident William Curry shouted out from down the isle "Stacy! They got those burritos!" Stacy was William's wife, also thirty five. She was a stout woman, with a short mop of blond hair and thick coke bottle glasses that sat innocently on her plump, cherubic face.

Excited by the opportunity of trying one of "those burritos" Stacy rushed over, with her three children: Daniel, Carly, and Gary. Gary was a rambunctios little tot, and at five he had not yet lost his baby fat. He looked like a miniature version of George Wendt -- "Norm" from the long running television show "Cheers"

Arriving at the sample desk where Teresa was still enjoying her sample, he excitedly pushed her out of the way in order to get a taste. Stacy, not yet noticing the exotic head covering worn by Teresa said "Watch out for..." then noticing what she viewed as "stange clothing" retracted her statement with a look of dismissal for this "foreigner". Gary hustled and josteld his was past Teresa, knocking her sample from her hand. She just smiled, expecting an apology from the child, but none came. Finished with her sample she and her tour group moved on through the store, but not before she smiled at William and Stacy. "Children" she said to them with a smile. They stared back coldly, and pushed their cart away.

Checking out the selection of produce in the temperature controlled room nearly brought tears to the Saint's eyes. She stood in front of a pallete of eggplant in quiet refelction. One would guess, that at this moment, her thoughts drifted to the less fortunate of the world, and how she wished they had all that was before her.

Her moment of quiet reflection was interrupted by a sudden smash in the leg by an over sized shopping cart driven by a permed twenty something who rudely blurted out "Excuse me" and was off with a hiss. Teresa smiled in her saintly way, understanding that people get upset for one reason or another at times. Not at all upset.

THe Meat Isle! The glorious meat selection! She had never seen such oppulence! She casually fingered racks of lamb and ground beef, calculating how many children she could feed with all that lay before her back in Tel Aviv... then BUMP. She is nailed again by a cart. "Goddam people" shouted Tim Beal. Teresa looked at him curiously. She could not understand his outburst. He looked nice enough, and his cart was full of food and household items. What could cause his this anger?

"Why is he so unhappy" She wondered.

She took a step back from the refrigerated meat display into the vast space around her, now viewing the store in its enormous entirety. She walked on a bit, towards a display of power washers. She didn't know what the strange contraption was. She found her path a rough one, as people didn't seem to see her. She was bumped, and pushed. Looking around for signs of humanity or apology from the offending parties, she recieved nothing. She gazed upwards, the thoughts of others leaving her as she took it all in.

It's a massive space, large enough to fit several commerical jets, packed to its gills with weekend shoppers of all sorts, hungry and out for a deal. Carts ramming each other, aloof faces, women admiring khakis for their husbands, cheese platters, and fresh sea bass. It reminded her of a weekend bazaar in Calcutta, minus the smell and laughter.

She began to look closer at the shoppers faces, she saw a hunger, a certain trait that she had seen before. Not one of starvation, though. She had seen it in warzones throughout the the world. The look she recognized was, what she saw as evil. Not outwardly evil in the sense of a warlord who would casually mow down a village with automatic weapons without blinking -- but the face with the absence of understanding and....

BAM! She is rudley woken from her musing by another Cadillac sized cart captained by a young girl slamming into her thigh. The child's mother yelling. Suddenly Teresa begins to feel weary, hot, sick. She is lost in a flood of people fighting for bargains. Bumping, fighting, not paying attention to anything but the prices. Oh, the prices! And she is completely lost in the swirl == a lone ship in an ocean of autonomous machines. And she faints.

When she finally comes to, everying is silent. Most of the store stopped -- staring in the direction of Teresa. She was screaming as she was passed out. As I lent a hand fanning her I couldn't help but wonder: Was it her screaming? Or was it the greater force inside of her that belongs to an even greater one?

Teresa spent the next two weeks in isolation. Her closest confidants knew nothing of the experience at Costco. For me though, being there, then later hearing about her isolation and crisis of faith, I am certain that it was the flipside of everything that she stands for, ugly and frothing, that she saw that day that caused her to go into isolation and nearly discontinue helping the people of the world.

She has since passed on, and achieved well deserved Sainthood. She will forever be remembered for her service to humanity. This was by no means an ordinary woman. But on this day, all of that was nearly lost, erased. Though we will likely never know exactly what is was that she was thinking in the weeks after her experience, we can all live what brought her to that point first hand. All it takes is a free Saturday afternoon and a small monthly fee. God Bless Mother T.