...and he’s been entertaining us with stories about his schoolboy days ever since. Apparently, Steve was born Brett Steven, but he took it upon himself in second grade to change things up a bit. When the teacher finished taking role on the first day of class, she asked if anyone preferred to be called something different than what she had on her list. Steve’s little mind ignites (“You can DO that???”) and next thing he knew, he’d told his teacher that actually, he goes by Steve, not Brett. His parents didn’t even know about the change for a couple of months, until they were trying to have a conversation about little Brett with his teacher.
Anyway, Steve spent a couple of years in a German school (…in Germany…) when his family moved temporarily overseas, and he related to us the two events that made him a legend at his elementary school.
IT STARTED WITH… a bully. When he started picking on Steve in the hallway one day, Steve sort of blacked out in his rage and the next thing he knew, he was standing over the bully, who was laid out flat on his back. I like to imagine the kids that witnessed it reacting kind of like in the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy kills the witch.
AND IT ENDED WITH… when Steve climbed onto the roof of the school to throw hundreds of frisbees and balls of every sport into the cheering crowd of children. Really, it’s impossible for me to think of Steve, the hero of the playground, tossing goodies off of the roof (while teachers scold him from below), without laughing out loud. Impossible. I'd draw a little sketch, but I'm sure I couldn't even do it justice.
HOWEVER – if I WERE to draw a sketch, it would be a shot from behind Steve, with him arms raised victoriously in the air. That way you'd be able to see the looks of open-mouthed adoration on every child's face, staring up at him.
That kid is cool...
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