“Between the Covers of the Book”

            The curly-haired, middle-aged man with the earring was an actor and playwright who once had a character observe that “All the world’s a stage,  // And all the men and women merely players . . . .” (As You Like It, II, vii, 147-148).  Like the actors who dressed to assume the roles Shakespeare wrote for them, everyone dresses for the “parts” they see themselves playing and may change those roles and costumes often.  High school students do this all the time, so it’s not a good idea to judge them immediately by the way they dress.

            Before the first bell at Lincoln High one morning in the late 1980’s, the students in the third-floor hallway were getting their books, discussing the previous night’s activities, and planning the day to come.  Suddenly a wave of laughter and incredulous exclamations rolled down the hall and the crowd parted to reveal an amazing sight:  a tall young man—about 6’ 6”—dressed in motorcycle leathers and chains, striding through the boisterous students, reveling in their astonishment and attention.  Outlandish as it was, what was truly unusual about his appearance was that atop his black leather frame protruded another 10 to 12 inches of hair, thirteen rigid spikes, to be exact, arranged in a row down the middle of his otherwise bald pate, and each gelled horn was a different, bright color.  Drug-crazed motorcycle gang member?  Rock star?  NBA forward?  Maybe.  Shortly after the bell rang to start class, he was asked by his 1^st period English teacher to read the poem he was to have written as an assignment for class that day.  In a clear, rich bass, he read to his peers, his teacher, a student teacher, and a visiting college professor a sensitive and word-rich description of how much he loved his mother.

            The petite girl so engrossed in her studies at the library table is easy to overlook.  She never draws attention to herself either by her actions or her dress.  In classes she is always prepared and—every teacher’s dream—participates without much coaxing in class discussions and projects.  Although she doesn’t volunteer right away, she can always be counted on to take part in projects and help enthusiastically.  Bright, sensitive, caring, almost meek in her demeanor, it would be safe to say that she’d “never hurt a fly.”  Talk to her soccer teammates or, even more telling, to her opponents.  They’ll describe a dynamo who flies down the field to deliver vicious tackles or blistering kicks, demoralizing any who would challenge her and charging her teammates to match her play.

            Watch in the halls at the local high school and question someone who knows the students passing by.  The skateboarder with the bowl-cut hair and baggy pants does computer technical support at a local business after school.  The clean-cut gentleman in button down shirt and chinos is a roadie for a local punk rock band.  The cheerleader is a black belt and her little brother, the one with the black lipstick and eye shadow, is the captain of the school’s chess team.

            Everyone dresses for the parts he or she plays in life, but those roles can change for any number of reasons.  More often than not, however, people dress the way they feel like dressing at the moment.  High school students are involved in many different activities as they negotiate that time in their lives when they’re trying to discover just which script fits them best.  Ask a teacher who keeps an eye on things, like the fellow in the suit and tie over there.  During his summer vacations he’s a rodeo clown.