Jeremy had become used to the bullying. He took it as an accepted part of life back when he first entered school. That's when his earliest memories began to record that for some ineffable reason—both to him and everyone else—he could simply not communicate well or even think like his boisterous school mates during his elementary grades. Sure, he had been tested. And his parents were counseled as to the very modest expectations they should have regarding any academic performance of their son. He was provided a special teacher to pull him out of classes Tuesdays and Thursdays for "special help."

The name-calling and physical abuse which Jeremy learned to endure outside the classroom at school became a matter of acceptable attention as he entered the middle grades. For as he grew tall and lanky in adolescence, holding his own amid the jeers and punches became somehow more acceptable than standing isolated on the fringes of the playing field. Facing his abuse stoically seemed somehow more palatable than meekly finding a place to hide between the buildings, as he had done so often in his early years.

Yet, Jeremy was special in many other ways. None of his classmates or teachers even knew, for instance, that he kept scores of pages in a thick notebook at home with drawings of all of them. On these small canvases their names and ages were recorded, accompanied by an incredible likeness of his subjects. Even more remarkable was that the young artist had depicted them, both adults and children, as happily engaged in whatever activity or talent they excelled in. There was, surprisingly, in these clandestine drawings no trace of animosity or enmity. This micro-gallery was in no way intended to vent hostility or seek revenge—instead only a complementary aura of abilities were captured skillfully in the boy's private collection.

Seth Faber, one of the students who constantly called him "Dumb Ass" and "Stupid,"—the very same boy who stole his juice religiously during the breaks, happened to be the best at math in Mrs. Lolinger's class. Jeremy's picture of Seth in this compendium of portraits was in full color and with many details. It showed the young mathematician immersed in a room where numbers and arithmetic signs floated effortlessly off his skin into a circular nimbus which surrounded Seth's head. It showed him seated at a desk with the letter 'A' dancing across his papers. More interesting still, the artwork featured Jeremy's long-time tormentor with a handsome smile and wearing a business suit. Behind him was an open window with fresh, green dollar bills wafting in and piling up on his desk. It was an obvious acknowledgement of Seth's perceived future success.

On another page of Jeremy's notebook he had depicted his own mother. She was enshrined in a bright collage of photos he had collected from magazine ads about spring gardening. Though she was sometimes his strongest critic regarding the things he could not do or understand, she was shown here not as a daily detractor but as a princess—young beyond her years, and dressed in the finery which the young Jeremy knew she admired. It was an iconic image of affection—a snapshot of the loving caregiver, almost saintly in its admiration.

Each of Jeremy's classmates, his grandparents, his teachers, even the postman, were all expressed with artistic flair and kindness. Their likenesses were recorded with such accurate depiction, and through such positive perception, that it was difficult to believe this was the casual handiwork of a boy seen as so limited in his abilities and communicative skills. Even more impressive was Jeremy's sterling outlook on life which radiated off these pages. It was the audacious stance of someone who saw the world, despite its imperfections and cruel treatment, as a place imbued with people of immense talent, and living in a world which celebrated their gifts.

As Jeremy entered high school—passed on merely socially, and as no result of his poor and often failing marks, he began to overtly assist those whom he saw in a variety of places and ways, similar to himself. He counseled them as best he could and offered comfort to other students bullied or mistreated at school. He began to volunteer for a number of causes, always seeing such work as having a great and silent reward within itself. His first job—working for an animal shelter in which he would feed and bathe dogs half-starved when brought in off the streets—he did with great passion and dedication.

This volunteerism led to his more concentrated efforts to work weekends and evenings at a soup kitchen in the downtown section of his city. Here, Jeremy felt an even greater need was filled when he assisted hungry people, mostly immigrants and the unemployed, in need of food and temporary shelter through the winter. All of this—the hard work and long hours, came with a special intrinsic feeling he had learned to enjoy. And he had accomplished all of it without any arbitrary level of academic skills or acceptable performance of verbal expression. Jeremy somehow came to realize he carried something within him possibly greater than these measures.

At the end of his senior year, the high school graduating class attended an awards ceremony. It was to present to those 'standouts' of his class recognition of their talents and accomplishments. Its purpose was to bring attention to those young people who were developing into outstanding citizens. During the program, students were called up by name and presented certificates of merit for their outstanding achievements. These were for certain scholastic subjects, athletic events, even those who had stuck out the marching band for all four years were recognized for their endurance and tenacity.

During the proceedings in which the parents, city council members and other local dignitaries attended, no one clapped louder for the individual recipients of merit than the tall, awkward young man at the back of the auditorium. He was the one most enthusiastic for his fellow students who had distinguished themselves through their special talents that evening. Jeremy was truly the proudest of them all.

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