ABSTRACT
This attempts to walk a fine line between defending the right to be excellent while maintaining an attitude that not everything in life must be a race to the finish line. Similar to the law of physics that states that for every action there will be an equal and opposite reaction, the same logic applies when considering the uniqueness of each and every gifted child. If famous people can have lives beyond the roles they play in public, our gifted children need to be allowed this same courtesy. If gifted students need a foot soldier to champion their rights to express their talents fully without fear of retribution from others, or if they need someone to explain that their emotional and intellectual abilities may make them stand out from classmates in ways that require a change in curriculum or grade placement.
