BoClyde

Thanks for “getting” this. No one has, and I doubt that anyone else ever will.

“Okay, so we drink to our legs!”

I’d like to amend this “thing.” I’m compiling information and doing research for a screenplay that I want to write. I know, I know. It’s not a novel, so it doesn’t really count. But, shit, I’m going to be writing something. That’s a start. Right?

So far, I’ve been able to surf in the Atlantic and the Pacific. I’ve stood on the beach of the Indian, but that was years ago and I didn’t have a board. Two down; five to go.

Having an unexpected turn of events in my life has provided me with an opportunity. I am setting in motion the long series of events that will culminate in my obtaining a doctorate in English literature. It’s going to be a long road, and the destination is a far off, but at least I know where I’m going, and I have a map for how to get there.

I’ve just spent the last nine months as a high school English teacher. It would seem that this would be the biggest chance I might have to truly have made a difference in someone’s life. I love my kids. Turns out that even though I love my kids and they love me, the administration at the school just didn’t love me; they fired me. Shit happens. But, last week, when I told my kids that I wouldn’t be returning next year their reaction was incredible. Some cussed, some cried, and some just hugged me. I did not get validation as a teacher from those above or even around me, but I got it from the most important source; the students. In high school, I had two teachers, Ben Slavic and Connie Fowler, that truly influenced me and made a difference in my life. Past that, my boss when I worked in an independent record store, Jeff Roberts, also had an incredible impact on me. I based my demeanor and approach on what I learned from these three people. Kindness, respect, patience, and the willingness to accept each person on their intrinsic qualities and on their own terms; that is what I learned and that is how I acted. However, those were not the qualities that get a teacher re-hired, so I shan’t be returning. So, here’s hoping that someone, somewhere, sometime will think back to their days at MBHS and remember me as I do those who made a difference in my life. If you were my student, always remember these things: think for yourself, no one can take that which you have learned from you, always be able to support your opinions, there is a time and place for every word, and, most importantly, be original.