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it was undeniable that john keating was an interesting man.
his teaching styles were very out of the ordinary, but they were certainly effective.
on a sunny day in winter, john led his class to the soccer field.
neil perry and knox overstreet were missing from the class, leaving scarlett and parker to entertain each other (rory and cameron being on the receiving end of their jokes.)
everyone was dressed in gym clothes, the school's name and colors printed on the clothes. john walked across the field with a net of soccer balls in a net slung over his shoulder, kicking a stray ball in front of him, his briefcase in his other hand.
"now, devotees may argue that one sport or game is inherently better than another. for me, sport is actually a chance for us to have other human beings push us to excel."
him and the students crowd around metal stands. a record player that john borrowed from scarlett for the day sat on the cold bleachers. john dropped the net of balls to the ground and sets his briefcase next to the record player.
"i want you all to come over here and take a slip of paper and line up single file." as the students line up, john pulls a notepad out of his briefcase. he then begins to rip off slips of paper and hands them out.
"mr. meeks, time to inherit the earth." john said as he handed a slip of paper to meeks. "mr. pitts, rise above your name." john hands the notepad to rory, who stood next to charlie. "i want you to hand these out, rory, one apiece."
rory nodded with a smile as she handed out slips of paper to her classmates.
✰
the students were all lined up in single file, each holding a slip of paper, various soccer balls littered the ground in front of them. john blows his whistle that hung from his neck.
at the front of the line was pitts, who clutched his slip of paper tightly in his hand.
"you know what to do, pitts!" john shouted.
pitts nodded as he began to recite what was written on the slip of paper: "'oh to struggle against great odds. to meet enemies undaunted." his voice sounded unsure.
"sounds to me like you're daunted. say it again like you're undaunted!"
"'oh to struggle against great odds. to meet enemies undaunted." pitts said once more, his voice louder than before.
john nodded. "now go on!"
pitts gives one of the soccer balls a good kick.
"yes! next."
one of the students sets up the next ball as the line advances.
parker cleared her throat as she began to read: "'to be a sailor of the world, bound for all ports!" she kicks the ball and goes to the end of the line.
