Back on the rez, I was a decent player, I guess. A rebounder and a guy who could run up and down the floor without tripping. But something magical happened to me when I went to Reardan.
Overnight, I became a good player.
I suppose it had something to do with confidence. I mean, I’d always been the lowest Indian on the totem pole — I wasn’t expected to be good, so I wasn’t. But in Reardan, my coach and the other players wanted me to be good. They needed me to be good. They expected me to be good. And so I became good.
I wanted to live up to expectations.
I guess that’s what it comes down to.
The power of expectations.
And as they expected more of me, I expected more of myself, and it just grew and grew…
— Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Somewhere along the line I missed this book. But between this quote and some others I have read, I think I’m going to have to! I printed this quote out and am going to hang it in my room somewhere.
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Terrific to read with students. They love the way the character works things out in his life.
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Love, love, love this book. The power of expectations. How true! Alexie manages to be thought-provoking, sobering, and funny all at once.
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