"Give a little bit of heart and soul; Give a little bit of love to grow"

I heard the above song on the radio the other day and I immediately thought: Bart Scruggs. And I listened to the song and smiled. I went to high school with him and he was in my grade 8 science class. He was a short boy with long hair and floppy bangs that he sometimes wore off his face, parted in the middle. He was a 'rocker'. He smoked. And he wore white high tops with jeans and a jean jacket most of the time. In science class I sat at the same table as he did. It was assigned seating, which meant that a choice 'trouble maker' was usually seated beside me. Teachers often used me for that purpose. I guess I was supposed to be the good 'role model'. I didn't mind it at all because I got to know certain people in a way I probably wouldn't have.

Maybe it's because I didn't see myself very differently from Bart Scruggs, that I felt comfortable in those situations. After all, one day out of the blue when we were sitting in class, he sang the words 'Give a little bit of heart and soul, Give a little bit of love to grow' and I thought he was quite a good singer. I liked the song. So we had something in common.

I wonder if he ever remembers me. I doubt he would. I wonder if he'd be surprised that I have this memory of him etched in my mind. Whenever I hear that song, I think about when he sang it. I remember a playful boy who was sometimes rebellious and didn't always have the best manners.... but I thought he could sing, and he left an impression without knowing it. If I were to see Bart someday I'd hug him and tell him about my memory of him. I'd let him know that I was glad Mrs. D had him sit beside me in science class.