The middle is the hardest part

In my experience, the middle is the hardest part of most things.

It’s the part where there’s no end in sight. No light at the end of the tunnel. No freshness from the beginning of the adventure.

Middle school is no exception to that rule.

Simply put, middle school is hard.

That’s what 11-year-old Aaron Bencaz told me in October on our long walk to see the Mississippi River shipwreck he discovered. 

The sixth grader from Mayfair Laboratory School was pretty sure he had found the remains of a shipwreck on the Mississippi River earlier that month. Louisiana state archaeologist Chip McGimsey confirmed the find.

Imagine if, as a sixth grader, you had found a shipwreck — and, after the general tumble of emotions, all you could think about was getting to school the next day to tell your friends. 

That was Aaron.

Things did not work out as planned. 

As it happened, when he got to school the next day, no one believed him. 

Except for Xavier. 

“And, he was like, ‘Good for you,'” Aaron told me once we got to the wide expanse of exposed sand on the then very low Mississippi. 

Indeed, the youngster had discovered a shipwreck. In fact, the official name of the wreck, according to McGimsey, is registered as “Aaron’s Shipwreck.”

But back to Xavier.

These days, Aaron says he appreciates Xavier’s support when no one else at school seemed to appreciate the news of an 11-year-old finding a shipwreck.

“Xavier was supportive of me,” Aaron said. “We’re still good friends.”

Aaron says his school year has improved as it progressed from those early days last fall when everything seemed overwhelming.

“I’ve gotten to know my friends more and my teachers better. Everything feels a lot nicer,” he says, even though he has to manage taking a P.E. class first period.

“P.E. first thing — that’s sad in the mornings,” he said.

He says he hopes other middle schoolers understand that even though some students might be rude or mean, “the main part is the grades.”