Sara, A bit belated but happy anniversary! For some reason the comet that this memory was stored on just happened to fly by again, while I was looking at some of your posts. Way back when I was a high school student, back before you were born. I was in an honors (yes back then they punished some of us for being bright by making us work harder) chemistry class (all 17/18 year old boys, all geeks, all bright) and we had a brand new teacher (she had just finished her masters) and she was very cute (I just looked in my copy of the yearbook and that memory is correct). Anyway maybe nothing can scare you but you should be very afraid at least for her (she most likely still has the mental scars from this time in her life). Her name was Mrs. Barras. (In the old days we never know teachers as other than Mr or Mrs or Miss Soandso there were no Sara's or Johns.) Well we found out that her first name was Mary. So you can guess she became Mrs MBarras or "embarrassed" to us. And as only teenage, geeky boys can do we did our best to create that condition. She often had to leave the room and get the male chem teacher to come in and read the riot act to us. So maybe if you get to feeling that your students aren't paying the attention that you might like them to, think about poor Mrs Mary Barras and be glad that they aren't. And yes I still after all these years take a certain wicked delight in remembering those days and the fact that we lived through them. And that we had teachers wise enough to not officially punishing us as we deserved of acting the way we did. So times life is good. <<The truly awesome part of the story!!!>> You have a very noble and important profession!
Thank you for that story! I teach Biology, so it is just about impossible to MBarras me anymore. Kids ask Biology teachers all kinds of questions and sometimes I know that their intent is to see if they can rattle me. It never works.
Today, the teachers in my school were given a choice of attending "Staff development day" (a.k.a. "Bore the Teachers Day") or volunteer to do relief work for hurricane Sandy's victims. I volunteered to help clean up a flood-damaged home. It was such a meaningful day, that I an grateful to have been given the chance to do it.
So far an awesome day - great shave and the temp is around 45 F so brisk without being truly cold. Just wonderful to be alive.
I took my classes for a tree walk yesterday. City kids know so little about trees that it is fun to open their eyes a bit. Also fun to get outside.
I had a very special encounter today. I went to a painter's atelier to take some photographs of her reconstructed 16th-17th century building for a magazine. We got into a conversation that lasted about 5 hours! I have felt stone walls of 400 years of age and wooden walls made of 17th century timber. I really reached out to touch the history in the building. There was a very special vibe in the air. Old wooden floors, windows between rooms to let the light through and to still be close to each other when in different rooms. You could feel history. We've been looking at one of her paintings for about half an hour. I just couldn't tear my eyes away. A really simple painting. Picture it for yourself in your mind's eye: a quiet summer evening, no wind, looking out over the flowing water. Only one wooden pole or post standing in the water. Evening light from the setting sun behind you, reflecting on the clouds. Night creeping in from the left. No details. Just flowing lines of the water and flowing lines of the clouds. And the pole. Then she dimmed the light and the painting came to life. You could see the water flowing, you could hear it whispering, you could feel the serenity of the night creeping over you. It radiated energy. Pure energy. I felt the painting from my core to my fingertips. She taught that when there is less light many things come to life. She doesn't like the hard light used in museums. And abhors LED light. But she paints by little light sometimes and has even made a painting by the light of just one candle. Later, over a cup of tea, she asked me if I would like to expose some of my photographs in her atelier. Just a short exposition of three days. I said: "but I'm not a photograper" (really, I'm not. Not at all). But she replied that she's not an art painter, and who cares? She has never seen anything of what I've made. But she saw how I connected with the house and the paintings and wanted to give me a chance to show or rather share some of my photographs in that environment. So I'll have to look through my photographs and see if I've got anything that is worth of exposing and then worth of exposing in her atelier. And she invited my and my family to come over sometime so I could show them the house and the paintings. I've been in an oasis today. Thank you, Victoria, for a very special encounter and a very special day! Mike
Well something positive happened today for my little one who's 2yrs. Old. We went to this uniform store about 3 weeks ago and she left her little pocketbook there and I've been back once before today and I didn't even realize that it was missing. However, this morning my little princess and I went to the uniform store this morning and as soon as we walked in the door the young lady at the front said, "Well hello to you both, and I've got something for you my little friend." I was like what, did we win a million dollars or something ? So she went to the back and had my little ones purse, along with her money and bike keys all intact. I was like wow!!! We never even noticed that it was missing cause she has a few purses that she totes around. Anyway, she gave the young lady a great big hug and said, "Tank yuu so much !" in her words. Thanks for allowing me to share. Peace
