Just tell me what to believe, and then I don’t have to think about it.

I had this teacher. I liked him because he talked to me like a person. He wasn’t mean. We did fun stuff in class. I almost didn’t hate school.

Trouble is, he asked questions.

I answered. He asked more. I answered more.

Then I asked questions. He answered. Then he got me to answer my own questions.

I went home and my dad told me what we think. I asked why. He slapped me. I said, “Don’t you love me?”

He thought about it and said, “Yeah, sure.”

“Then why did you hit me?”

“So you’ll learn.”

“What will I learn?”

“The way things are.”

“Are things the way they should be?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why don’t we change them so they will be?”

“You ask too many questions.”

“Is that an answer?”

“Don’t get smart with me!”

“But dad, you told me yourself, there are two sides to everything.”

“That’s right, son.”

“There’s right and there’s wrong.”

“That’s right.”

“Then we’re not right if we’re wrong.”

“Uh…right.”

“So there’s only one side to be on.”

“I guess so.”

“So the sides aren’t always equal. As they say in school, it’s not a balanced equation.”

“Apparently.”

“Then why did you hurt me?”

“I’m sorry about that, son. I didn’t mean to. A parent should never hurt his child.”

“But you did.”

“Stop right there, mister! Are you challenging my authority?? Acting all crazy! Who is this teacher who got you thinking this way? You tell him from me I got a gun…”

So I decided not to go back to school to protect my teacher who cares about me more than my own father.

But then I decided it’s wrong to stop learning. That teacher started me thinking, and it’s ruining my life.

And I gotta live in the world anyway, I just gotta choose how.

And my dad’s not a lost cause. We did start to talk.

And we still play catch. He throws the ball, I catch. I throw the ball, he catches.

And we eat lunch together sometimes, and dinner. We both like food.

So I won’t give up on my dad, and I won’t give up on the world.

I’m thinking now, and I’m not gonna stop.