In life we are dealt a hand of cards and sometimes we don’t get to decide how things will work out. In the article “I Just Wanna Be Average” by Mike Rose discusses the fact that it is understandable why his fellow classmates didn’t strive for success. He shows this by explaining that even though the other students in the lower level classes with him seemed to be trouble makers and appeared to not care about anything, they did have a side to them that just needed someone to believe in them (Rose 2). There comes points in life were we can be strong for ourselves and then there is times were we really just need someone to be there to support us. This article explains that the classmates with Rose just needed support and someone to believe in them, and sadly they didn’t have that. One thing that set Rose different from the other students is that even though he understood them, as explained in the article he knew that there was another side to every situation. He went through so much and yet continued to take what life handed him and work with it. There was a point in Roses life were he started to change slightly and this moment started with him meeting Kenn Harvey. Harvey strived to be average and only average. He didn’t see a point in trying to be anything more considering he didn’t think he could be better (Rose). Not only was this the start to a turning point for Rose but he …show more content…
When things started going from bad to worse Rose was given a “light”, this was his teacher Mr. Macfarland. Macfarland helped Rose take the final steps in finding “a way out”. Not only of just the negativity of the school system but within himself as well. Even though Macfarland was just a teacher he showed the students something no other teacher had, and that was hope. Yes he was tough and hard on them but he showed them tough love and that if you believe in yourself, even just a tiny bit than you can succeed. After Roses father died he started becoming more lost as one may say and that’s why when Mr. Macfarland came into his life and it couldn’t have been at a more perfect time. In When the Light Goes On, Mike Rose states, “I’d had several good teachers in elementary school, but on the whole my education before Mr. McFarland was unexceptional” (Rose). Rose explains that in no way shape or form was he easy on them, but that was the thing, by being tough and pushing the students showed Macfarland showed he cared. This was something no other teacher in the education system had shown the students. Life isn’t perfect and it never will be but by being positive and continuing to strive to the best of your ability will help you improve yourself in so many