Henry, I'm Sorry

I was flipping between two quality television programs when I was reminded of an incident from the seventh grade. First let me say that in junior high I was as nerdy as they come. It was the early 90's and I represented everything wrong with that time. In homeroom, we were charged with the task of electing a homecoming court representative. A girl named Amy who'd done a miraculous geek to chic makeover during the summer between sixth and seventh grades was the obvious choice and an arrogant asshole (yes, even at the age of twelve) named Matt seemed to be a shoe-in for the boys. Until the boy next to me suggested a gangly, but adorable kid named Henry. Henry was a funloving kid and was okay with the nomination, but our homeroom teacher was not. She assumed that because Henry didn't possess Matt's (wholly subjective) good looks and self assured cockiness that he was nominated as a joke. And sure maybe it would've been funny if one of the (again subjective) "cool" kids had nominated him, but neither I nor the guy sitting beside me were that lucky. She lectured us on our cruelty and shot me mean looks for the remainder of the year. Beauty & the Geek has quickly become my guilty pleasure. And watching this evening as the boys (geeks) were made over, I was reminded of that seventh grade homeroom classroom. I don't know where Henry is today and I sincerely doubt that he remembers that morning in Mrs. Hoh's homeroom class, but I hope he knows that I didn't seek to cause him any harm that day and that I'm sorry if I did. I just wish he'd represented our class that year because he certainly would've represented me.