Tyler

Tyler. He was another one of the popular boys back in elementary school. He was like 5’7” and shaving in fourth grade. He’s the reason I read the Harry Potter books.

You see, growing up, I wasn’t normal. I sometimes wouldn’t do things because everyone else was doing them. But even that I did because my sister did it. I was a sheep. I had no opinions of my own and I sought approval from everyone around me.

Since Tyler was a popular guy, he naturally had a lot of influence over me. We sat next to each other for a while in fourth grade. He was reading the Fourth Harry Potter book. I remember asking him why he read that. He said it was a really great book series and that he had a choice between Harry Potter and the Dictionary. I asked why he would ever want to read the dictionary. He said that it helped him learn new words. He looked at me like I was crazy. Like everyone went home and read the dictionary. Did I mention that in addition to being a tremendous basketball player, Tyler is also incredibly intelligent?

So that night, I went home and read the dictionary. It was probably the most boring twenty minutes of my life let me just tell you. I didn’t understand how a person could ever retain words like that. Well, I desperately wanted to connect with him, so I decided that I would break down and read the Harry Potter books. I checked the first one out at the library and I was HOOKED.

To this day, I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I read through the books about once a year and have the movies just about committed to memory. I grew up with the characters and they’re a part of me. I can thank Tyler for that.

I eventually forgot all about him, but like every other boy in my life, he showed up again at my high school. He actually started dating one of my friends and his little sister was in my acting class. We happened to meet up at a play his sister was in and we talked briefly. He called his girlfriend up that night and said that he totally remembered who I was and that in elementary school he had a big crush on me. He read her a journal entry he had written about me.

“Chelsy let me borrow her pencil today. I think I’m in love.” The thought that anyone would ever like me in elementary school was mind blowing. Especially Tyler. It’s another one of those times when I think that maybe I’m just far too self conscious. Maybe the person that I am isn’t so bad and I should just learn to love myself. Easier said than done, but I think it will sink in eventually.