Brilliance just beneath

I have a student this year whom is undeniably brilliant. He took my Foundation class to fill up his schedule. He is a senior, so he will not be taking the higher level automotive course. I did not recognize his talent at first. You see, I thought he was dumb. He has, like many of us southerners, a slow speech pattern. His seems much slower than most. More noticeable, though, was the look on his face. It reminded me of a line in an Eagle's song, "She just looked at me, uncomprehendingly, like a cow at a passing train". He has that look, almost always. As I have gotten to know him I realize I couldn't have been more wrong. He can actually process many complex tasks simultaneously. He can work out Hawking level math equations while reading an article about alternative fuels while writing(in his head) the next chapter to a book. He is writing a book about some science fiction topic. I am so glad I was blessed with the opportunity to meet and get to know this young man. I will think of him every time I meet a kid who seems to have a 10 watt bulb in a 100 watt socket.