Why these kids are awesome: Random acts of humor

I originally planned to post this several weeks ago but in light of recent incidents, I had second-guessed that decision.  But I figured, screw it since it makes for an interesting anecdote.

The students I teach are not the best and brightest, nor are they the solution to all the world's current problems, but they are to the core of their being, genuine characters.

At the end of last trimester, we transitioned into a new trimester and a student from a previous section I taught came up to me with their smart phone (after they were handed back at the end of the day).

This student has an app on their phone of a gun that fires every time you shake the phone.  He came up to me and showed me the picture of the gun and said to me, "So you failed me last trimester, right?  Right?"  I played along and replied, "Yes, you failed my class last trimester."

At that moment, he takes his phone and shoots me repeatedly ("BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG") and quickly dashes out of the room.  I couldn't help but laugh.  I was just massacred by a student's smart phone.  I know that it's probably not the most positive message to laugh at even the slightest form of violence (especially after the incident in Arizona) but I couldn't help but think that there's still a little humor in the clearly harmless provocations of a smart phone app.

We're not at odds with each other nor will we ever be at odds with each other but these are the little moments you have to enjoy.  We both seem to understand that there are bigger things in life than a class you failed last trimester, like sharing a good laugh.

If you don't find this amusing or funny then I apologize.  I can already see how people could paint this story as one of promoting gun violence out of frustration when it clearly was just a harmless joke that has no underlying message of violence.