I was the quiet kid in class. You may have a new kid in class today that nobody knows. And, yes, he may be the new quiet kid just like I was.
My dad was a sergeant in the Army. The new kid in your class may have a mom or dad in the military just as mine was. I missed a lot moving from country to country and school to school.
The new kid in your class may have a mom or dad serving our country either enlisted or an officer and not at home with him. He is known as an “Army brat,” just as I was. He may be a Navy, Air Force or Marine brat.
That means the new kid may not have the family dynamic that you are used to and take for granted. The Army brat is alone at Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.
Since I moved so much, I was not always on the same page as the other kids. Y
es, I was the quiet kid, the new kid, the Army brat sitting next to you in class.
I was quiet because I knew that next year I would have to say goodbye to any new friends and move on to my dad’s next duty station.
Please, if you have a quiet kid in class, whose parent may be in the service, try to understand their difference and appreciate that their parents are protecting our nation.
James Clark
Durango
