Tyler's Acting Practice

Tyler practices shooting a foam pebble accurately during his summer vacation in anticipation for the successful performance of his assigned role as David in the coming year's school play "David and Goliath". There is a new student in Tyler's class this year, and Tyler and this new student, Joel, become close friends. During recess break after the students go out to the yard to play, Joel attempts to aim a basketball the the net, but misses a few times. The students take the ball away from Joel, and tell him that they don't want him to play with them because he is not a good basketball player. They exclude him from joining their game while explaining that no one wants him on either team. Tyler feels with Joel's sadness at being disrespected, rejected, and bullied. When Tyler learns from Joel that he is very good at using a slingshot and has had practice in aiming accurately at a target with it, he offers him the role of acting David in his place. Tyler believed that when the students observed the successful aim of Joel, they would begin respecting him and stop bullying him. Tyler's plan succeeded. Joel earned the admiration of everyone watching the play in the school auditorium. Joel was elated. His self-confidence and joy were restored. Tyler felt content although he had lost the opportunity to act the role himself. His heart only felt a love that was uniting all the students present in the school auditorium.