School was never a fun time for Harry O’Neill. When reflecting, he doesn’t have fond memories of it. He was picked on a lot, was called cruel names, and people were always staring. He had to learn to fight. He knew these were the things he had to tolerate, being born with one arm.
That’s why now, when he told his inner circle that he has gone back to be an art relief teacher in a high school, everyone who knows him was surprised.
No-one more so than him.
A teacher afraid of high school and teenagers?
He was unsure as to how the students of Gen Z would go, having a teacher with one arm. “I grew up in the 80s with a disability and that was an intolerable time,” he said.
Harry is a 38-year-old, true Victorian larrikin. He is short, with chestnut hair and a rather ordinary looking face. So ordinary in fact, many would say his one arm is his defining trait.
His art space is cluttered and industrial. It is filled with stacked paint palettes layered with dried out paint, unfinished, figurative paintings leaning up against the concrete walls, and a mini fridge stocked with locally brewed beer.
Though I describe him as ordinary looking, he describes himself as handsome and capable. But the people around him, like Kevin Landstone, a close friend, describe him as easy going and handy. Pun intended.
Harry is 50 per cent less handy than most people but is somehow more proficient. “He is a jack of all trades and he never complains, which is cool because it makes you forget about his disability,” Kevin said.
Kevin and Harry met when Harry first moved to Brisbane to follow his high school love. Their mutual love of art and their communal studio space meant they hit it off instantly, with numerous shared interests to discuss.
Applying his hard work ethic into his new endeavour of teaching has helped Harry conquer his fear to face high school teenagers. As lame as that sounds, Harry had battled “growing up different” his whole life. “When you are interesting or different, all you want to be is normal,” he said.
When his first day of teaching rolled around, he walked into his first art class and 25 teenage students stared back at him. A Brazilian kid, a transgender kid and two gay kids were amongst the class. And although it sounds like the beginning of a dirty joke, Harry was shocked to discover that none of them were being bullied. As a kid who was bullied all through school because he was different, he couldn’t believe it.
As a Gen Z writer, it didn’t surprise me when he told me this. I see my generation to be filled with forward thinkers and compassionate people. I mean, look at the statistics from the most recent Australia Day; according to the BBC, about 50% of under-35’s support moving Australia Day, something that has only become a mainstream talking point in recent years. To me, that’s the definition of change and progressiveness.
And although that singular statistic includes not only Gen Z’s but Millennials too, neither example surprises me.
Perhaps (and sorry Harry for exposing your age like this), because Harry is above the 35-year-old age bracket, he didn’t realise the change young people of today were enacting. If he didn’t realise then (when he walked into his first art classroom), he most definitely realises now, as he uses his own work ethic and sympathy to spend more time teaching the future Van Gough’s and Picasso’s.
Ultimately, whether Gen Z are empathetic or heartless, hard working or not, they should feel lucky to be taught by Harry O’Neill. He knows how to have a laugh and will teach them more than just art.
As Kevin, who truly respects Harry said, “he has a wide range of skills and capabilities and it’s great for teenagers to see that sort of thing.” He can share his knowledge on an extensive variety of things and can inspire them to explore the diverse paths life may offer.
Without a doubt, he is able to positively influence and lend a hand to his students. Though it is just one, it has the impact of many.
That's my ramble.
Ruby x
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