Tag Archives: High school

August 30, 2012 · 6:01 pm

Orientation Observations

Little drama to deal with.

Mrs S and the Eldest, while on there way west for the college send off broke down in Bozeman MT. Unexpected 24 hour and 2G delay while the Audi was repaired. *sigh* Lots of rejiggering scheduled and flights home, meant that Mrs S would not be home Wednesday night, new date and time; Thursday late.

High school orientation here I come. First time I’ve ever been to an orientation for any school. that’s really Mrs S’s prevue. I wouldn’t ask the right questions, and frankly my ADD patience quotient is about 11 minutes for any one activity, and this one was planned for 2 hours.

Oy.

So off we went. High School. Except for the theatre and the athletic venues I’ve never been to the local high school. One of the those buildings I’ve passed every day for 17 years but had no occasion to go in.

Now I do.

Orientation. One hour in the theatre listening to the Principal, the Assistant Principal, the Assistant to the Assistant Principal, the Principal Assistant to the Principals Assistant and the School Nurse. Interestingly enough, or not, they all had the same message, do your best and get involved. Except the Principal who also had about 20 minutes of content on how great a school we have here in Apple Valley. Awards in athletics, academics, and arts, clubs to cover every interesting including surprisingly, trap shooting.

Sounds like our local high school has quite the program. Of course we were second to Rosemount in enough things that I did start wondering about the possibility of open enrolling at over there, it’s only 15 minutes away.

There were more than a few kids there with both parents, in by cynical jaded view “must be their first kid”. Sad eh? My daughter was embarrassed by my mere presence and I was  constantly coached about how to behave, like “don’t arrive in the theatre more than a nanosecond early, say three steps behind me, and no touchie. Figgas. Actually Dad, would be best if you pretended you didn’t know me.”

I actually don’t know per se, when asked by another parent I hadn’t seen in while about her I replied she was 14 years old.  My math was wrong. Parents should know better but doing the math from her Bat Mitzvah last year and I came up with 14. Forget that she was two weeks short of 14 at that event and is now 15. Oh well.

The actual ‘listening’ part of the presentaion began speech by one of the activities directors at the school, 3 minutes of content sandwiched around 15 minutes of useless examples of abot points that I didn’t really have shred of relevance to anything relative to the first day of high school. Life lessons? Sure, but in the same way that elderly neighbor offers up advice after her third sherry. Interesting but lacking that certain relevance I like.

I wrote a line of “Z’s” on the program and showed it my daughter. “Great example Dad”. I roll like that sometimes.

“No idea what he’s talking about”. More bad leading.

IMG_1019Next stop, the locker. “Lemmie see you open your locker.”

Clockwise to the First number.
Round the world the other way to the second number.
Clockwise again, straight to the third number.
And then back to zero.

“Whoa.. whoa whoa dude” She looked up at me in HORROR. I broke one of the cool rules, I had questioned the kid. “Stop it DAAAAD”. “Dude, there’s no back to zero” “I know whAT I’M DOOOOOIIIINGGGG”. She can’t get the thing opened. Lean in, hands behind my back, whisper into the back of her head “no zero, don’ go back to zero”.. which she did and which worked. Imagine that, old dad sporting a clue.

Along the way one of her pals came over and the talked about how cool their lockers were. Purple. Big enough to get into kinda, “Don’t be jumping in there now” I said “the Seniors will be stuffing you in there soon enough.” “Daaaad they don’t do that.” OK that’s what they told me exactly 36 years ago when I was a freshmen.

Teacher meet and greet was up next. They’re nice. I met the science teacher who inspired Nate to pursue a career in Geology. He was happy to hear that he had an impact, “so many leave here and do nothing with their lives”. Whoa there Mr. Science your infectious enthusiasm is showing.  Moving on. Now many of the kids teachers, well, looked to me like they were just about a year out of high school themselves. Inmates running the asylum.

You could tell the parents though, just look for the folks sporting the tattoos. Jaysus H. Christ himself peeps. Ladies, ya absotulty HAD to get ink on that sun-damaged old leather you call skin. And then you thought spagehetti straps were the right think to wear to your kids school? I don’t want to see 3/4 of a rose peeking up over your 36 longs.  No good. And you Dad’s my age, with the barbwire bicep and f’n lightning bolt calf there, the one that’s been inked onto soft flabby skin, bad. And while i’m at it, would kill a parent or two to acutally meet the schools minimum dress code? I mean come on, this this ain’t the gawddamn Walmart Layaway line here, class up a bit.

I’m done. For now.

I like the school, big open spaces, art classrooms that dwarf anything I had in school, a state of the art theatre, so different from high school in California. Our classrooms all opened to the outside where there were covered walkways. Inclement weather was rain and wind, no problemo. I like he big closed in spaces,  I expected to see Molly Ringwold and Judd Nelson come waltzing down the stairs to the Psychedelic Furs. Hey Hey Hey Hey…

Ran across the Po-Po liaison, hope never to hear from him. He looks like a regular teacher except for the Glock on his belt.

French class. Right next door to the German class. I hope the enrollment in German isn’t more than the classroom can handle, there’s a bit of history there that no one wants to see. Except maybe the Japanese classroom across the hall. They might not care if you know what I mean.

So after a walk to the classes, I made her do one more circuit, in order of her day. I’m soo good. After a run through the activities desks it was over. 2 hours of orientation and we were good for now. Until Mrs S starts asking questions about details, then I’m screwed, I’ll tell her what I remember, which I’m sure will come to me over the course of a couple weeks or so, it always seems to work that way.

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June 1, 2012 · 10:33 pm

Advice to the New Graduate

You can’t have a graduation in your family without stopping for at least a little bit

Red,

As you walk across that stage on Saturday, clad in your Apple Valley cap and gown, resplendent in shades of brown, look out on the crowd and know that as good as this feels,

It’s only the beginning.

It think Dr. Suess said it best:

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.

You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

Dude, you’re making a big leap from the friendly confines of hearth and home to big wild world. Before you go I encourage you look out from the stage and take pause. Your friends and family are in that crowd somewhere, cheering for you, but this isn’t where you future lies.

You’ve set yourself up to do great things, to go to new places, to see more of the world and I couldn’t be prouder of the courage and fortitude it took to make those choices. I’m proud of your accomplishments and I’m happy to help you anyway I can. Do you best and know you have our support.

In a few short months you’ll be packing your things heading south. Here’s what my experience has taught me;

  • Be yourself. You’ll never be happy trying to be something you aren’t.
  • Find something you love. Money is a short term motivator. It makes some things easier but it doesn’t guarantee happiness.
  • Don’t look back. The past is the past, mistakes and triumphs. What you’ve done may set you up for your future, but at the same time it shouldn’t dictate it course. It’s hard to understand now but I’m 99% certain that the lifetime friends you’re going to make, the people who will shape you and make you into person you’re going to become, well son, you haven’t met them yet. It’s not too likely they’re in that crowd in front of you. Look ahead.
  • Take risks. The world reinvents itself faster now than at any time in human history, it’s more important to understand where we’re going than where we’ve been. It’s far easier to take risks now than it will be when you’re fat and old.
  • Do unto others what you would have them do unto you. Don’t feel guilty if you’ve truly, in your heart, followed this rule.
  • Don’t subscribe to dogma and superstation, in the end none of that really matters. Culture and traditions are neat, but also, in the end, don’t matter.
  • It takes 10,000 hours to be an expert at something. That’s about 5 years of practice. Don’t pretend to be an expert until you’ve put in your time.
  • Listen well. Always and to everyone.
  • Have humility. Laugh at no one except yourself. We’re all just a couple bad breaks away from sleeping in bus stations.
  • Seek out opportunities to good in the world. They’re all around you. Hold open doors for others, assume you’re wrong and take care of your friends. Nothing bad ever happened from spreading some good karma.
  • Everything you do from your first day in college on matters, so do it to the best of your ability.
  • Don’t get any tattoos they’re ugly, you’ll regret them and I’ll disown you.
  • A little of everything goes a long way, to much of anything will wreck you.
  • Some people fill your bucket, some people empty, surround yourself with fillers. Life’s to short for downers, even ones you’re related to.
  • Vote Democrat or don’t vote at all, the alternative is….
  • Family is not the most important thing in the world. Friends and the relationships you make are.
  • Don’t waste your time on stupid arguments or irrelevant discussion. Learn to be polite and to walk away.
  • The poor are among us. Feed the poor.

Other than that fly right, live clean and let your works be seen as the great Bob Marley says.

So that’s it. Have fun tomorrow. Enjoy your day, but don’t get to excited ’cause the best things in life haven’t even begun yet.

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May 28, 2012 · 7:21 pm

Weekend Update- Memorial Day Edition.

Split time this weekend- the lake place and the home place.

Started the weekend in the Dermatologists office, my annual brush with mortality. I came away from that pretty much unscathed for a chance. Actually that makes  two a row, which pleases me to no end.

Friday afternoon Mrs S and headed up to the cabin to work on the pontoon boat. We got the furniture reattached and by most accounts the boat, which will be renamed the SS (Sank Ship in case you were wondering) War Eagle. She’s resplendent with navy carpet and some orange trim the only thing missing a giant AU in the front carpet and the “Beat Bama’ logo on the back.

Personally I’d like to see the youth do well in a couple classes at Auburn before we go all in on the family watercraft if you know what I’m saying. Or rather, Just say’n.

Friday evening we had the first bonfire of the year. Not so much for the bonding effect of a lovely campfire on a summer night, the motivation was rather um, to destroy about 4 years of back checks and documents Mrs S had accumulated and didn’t want to feed through her $8.99 POS shredder that chokes on two ply toilet paper much less more than one piece of paper at a time.

By the time we were done the fire pit was one gigantic pile of ashes which magically were completely gone in the morning after a thunderstorm and some rain.

IMG_0010Saturday Giggs had a friend up for the day, Riley the golden lab from the next door in Apple Valley. Riley hitched a rid up with some of the family members and they had a splendid day, Riley chasing shit around the yard for hours on end and Giggs attempting to herd Riley. They have a great relationship because each dog gets what they want. Giggs did have to draw line however at lake entry. Giggs, having no legs is a bit of wader in the lake, definitely not a swimmer. Riley being a  lab enjoys the water. Giggs had to patiently wait on shore for other dog to swim back, and like a true herding dog waited in the down position like a sheep dog waiting on the next command. Breeding for traits is very interesting.

Then again, no corgi like the water, and Giggs certainly enjoys a good wade when it’s hot outside.

IMG_0012

Saturday dinner I whipped up Lebanese style. Some kabobs which had been marinating in olive oil and spices all day, I attempted my mothers baba ganoush, roasted eggplant puree with tahini, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Having no recipe I winged it from a 27 year old memory of an observation of my mother making the stuff. It was decent enough but needs some tweaking. Since nothing as measured I’m not exactly certain how I’ll I do that.. but I will enjoy figuring it out.

IMG_0013 IMG_0014

IMG_0015

After chow Saturday night Mrs S and the kids all bailed with our neighbors and it then got really quiet up there. If it wasn’t for the thunder and lightning I’d have had to start talking to myself.

Sunday I got up with great expectations of watching the Indy 500 and doing some work. New role at the office has me bringing home a lot of stuff these days and I was pretty sure at least one day of the weekend would be devoted to project work.

As it was we literally had no reception on Sunday. No TV reception for some reason. Now Blake Lake is on the far periphery of Twin Cities TV coverage, and all we have is an antenna, but we had been getting decent TV. I’m blaming sunspots.

After weaseling myself on invite to a friends for breakfast I managed to extend my visit through the morning and enjoyed a gratis bloody Mary while watching the race. Actually one of the best bloodies I’ve ever had. Full meal, marinated tomato juice and vodka. Good times.

After the race I invited the gang over to my place for more feeding and drinking and so it was.

Never mind that work thing mind you.

Sunday night we had a massive thunderstorms all around us, but someway, somehow we managed to avoid a direct hit and only had to suffer through the power going out. For 6 hours of so.

Monday I was home by 9:00. Mrs S met me at the door with a list. Somehow it had slipped my mind that my mother in law is coming to visit on Wednesday, which in my mind was three days away, but wit the holiday is actually only two days away and since we want her think we live in a model home for some reason, there was a lotta shit to do, which we did.

And now I have tiredness.

I did take a moment and think about the men and women in uniform who are putting their lives on the line in the service of our country. The meaning of the day was mentioned at dinner. I did not forget, like I did about my Mother in Law.

Or that we are about to have a high school graduation this week, my son of all people. Now since he’s the middle kid I figured we could ignore it all together and go to the lake, but on further reflection have decided to stick around and congratulate him, and all his class on their great achievement, they have met the most basic educational requirement of our society and have earned themselves the highly coveted Meeting Expectations.

I don’t get the bid deal on high school  graduations.

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October 4, 2011 · 9:08 pm

Rembering High School, where I learned to cope.

My high school reunion, 30th high school reunion, was last Saturday. I didn’t go. For a few minutes or so I toyed with the idea of going, and then thought better of it. Why put myself through a 2000 mile drive to get to the Stockton. I could fly, but that’s become such a pain in the butt that I’m not inclined to fly anywhere anymore, unless it’s impossible to get there by car or train. See Europe and Hawai’i.

I did enjoy looking at some of the pictures from the event, thank you Facebook. Facebook is a Godsend to those of us who aren’t so good in crowds and get a little uptight about attending events and meeting folks. We can engage on our own terms and from the comfort of our offices and kitchen tables. It’s how I would prefer to engage with many of my family members, less drama on Facebook.

For the most part the Class of 81, at least the subset of a subset that showed up at the reunion looked pretty good. Not many were as fat as I am now, clean living I guess. Most were a little greyer than I, I eat lots and lots of preservatives in my food, keeps my hair dark. I didn’t get a chance to compare and contrast careers and kids, to measurements that are difficult to fake. I suppose you could lie about them, but I would hope we’re all just a bit past that now, as we’re are approaching our 50’s.

I was even to motivated to do the unthinkable, I headed down to the basement, tore apart old boxes and dusty piles of shit, long discarded sporting goods, spare fish tank, some collectable GI Joes that I bought 15 years ago thinking that they’d be valuable one day.. BTW, they are mostly in the Longaberger baskets that Mrs S purchased back in the day, same idea. $3,000 for a picnic basket that one day will be an heirloom keepsake our family will cherish. I have a better shot with GI Joe, I got me one in every WWII uniform in the original packaging. Call them dolls if you wish, but for a crusty old collector they’re going to be wanted items. As opposed to the yuppie houseparty baskets, I’m pretty sure the only person who will appreciate them who ever gets the clean out my basement after I cack. He or She.. probably she because no son would care enough to clean up a house after a parent dies, she will be looking for something to carry all the little shit out of the basement and that basket will come in handy. I sure hope she realizes what she has before she sells it at the estate sale for $1.00.

Of course by then she’ll probably have a levitating basket that you pile stuff into, only to it carry it’s own self up the stairs. Remember the promises they made when I was young , I think by now I was supposed to be getting around in a flying assed car, just where the f”K is that thing?

I digress. There, deep in the basement I found what I was looking for, the 1981 edition of the Lincoln Log, my high school year book. I dragged the thing upstairs, I haven’t really taken a look at it in 20 years probably, but I did need it to help me place some of the names and current faces, as I couldn’t quite remember who they were back when I was in school.

Funny how my perceptions have been frozen for 30 years, as I was looking at the book I found myself muttering “douche”and “good guy” and “he was a dick”and “oh yeah..” “Man what ever happened to her” and then there’s those folks who I only remember because back when I bought the thing.. I remember looking at the pictures and thinking that I had no idea who they folks were even then, and I was supposed have been in school with them the last four years. 30 years later, I remembered that I didn’t remember who they were then, or now. Odd how my mind works eh?

I especially enjoyed some of the girls who I thought were the bomb back in the day. Look at them now, feathered hair, GunneSax dresses all lacy and filly. Lots of powder blue tuxs.. fond memories of time better left behind.

I got lost for a bit in some of the many signatures on the book. The common theme, “Sank, you’re a funny guy”. Glad to know others thought so, even back then. Maybe things don’t change so much.

Or not-

Sunday I was sitting with a few friends and kids at Apple Valley High School Dance Team Spaghetti Feed talking a bit about school. I had mentioned something or other about the school nurse. My daughter gets holiday cards from her school nurse, they’re that close. I think she’s in there once a week or so. I don’t remember a school nurse when I was a kid. If there was one I certainly never visited her. Or him. I remember a certain middle school coach who used to make sure he was in attendance at all the school physicals and used to have the boys down to their skivvies when they rolled an ankle or needed a knee wrapped. He sort of went away one day and we never saw him again. Hmm, weird.

Anyway, the kids said they visit the nurse when they need an ibuprofen or more contact solution. Damn things have changed, I don’t know anyone who wore contacts in high school. We all had glasses, typically the kind that were as effective for focusing on text as they were at keeping us from getting dates. I don’t think ibuprofen was invented in 1979. Tylenol was but there were risks…

“You never went to the nurse?” the kids were surprised. “No”, “Not once?”

“Not only that kids, I never went to the bathroom when I was in school”.

They all fell over in disbelief. Well, when walking into one of our smoke filled bathrooms, you know the kind that doubled as clubhouses for some of the kids that would one day start street gangs, believe me you could endure a few cramps at the expense of your life. My son called me on it. “You didn’t go pee in school for 4 years?” Pee yes.. we had a decent can in the choir room we could use and the one the library, oh and the  one in the huddle, which was our cafeteria. But, never #2.” “ For four years?” “more like 6 years if you include middle school.” If my bride has been there she might have relayed that to this day I’ve been known to leave the mall, get in the car and go home when nature calls ‘cause “yeah he never ‘duces’ in public.” I was scarred, what can I say.

“BTW Kids” my turn to ask, “Where is the smoking section at Valley High?” All blank stares.. “the what?” “You know the place where kids go to smoke?” We had a sanctioned bench and ashtray out on the end of the parking lot where kids were allowed to go smoke during lunch and before and after school. That was a shock to the kids.

Now, campuses are completely tobacco free. That, is a significant change given the two times in 4 years I had to go through the teachers lounge for something. Talk about a view to the inner sanctum! Visibility in my high schools teachers lounge was about 18 inches, the smoked glass window that said Break Room on it really wasn’t smoked glass. Just say’n.

Well apparently things have changed now, kids have medical staff on premises, clean well patrolled restrooms, healthy food, tobacco free, drug gree. No wonder they can’t cope in the real world anymore.

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July 31, 2011 · 10:05 am

The High School Reunion- to go or not to go

To go or not to go?

Damned social networking-

If hadn’t been for Facebook I would have never given a second thought about attending my 30th High School Reunion this September. The organizing committee would have never found me, not that they did this time either, the idea of making a visit to Stockton wouldn’t have even entered my mind. High School for me was a mostly forgettable experience. The one friend from those days who I’ve sort of kept up with over the years wouldn’t be caught dead at an event like that, and other than him there just isn’t much I that would compel me to spend the time and money to go back to Stockton and reconnect with folks whom I’ve not seen or had contact with in 30 years.

And then along came Facebook.

All of a sudden I’m catching up on line with some of the people I went to high school with, some of whom I can even actually remember. I find myself in free moments thinking about the old neighborhood, wondering of any of my folks old friends are still alive, who’s living the in the house I grew up in, what’s happening back home.

It’s not like I don’t see the old ‘berg on the news from time to time, annually it gets called out on Forbes or Yahoo as the “worst place to live in America” or “Top 10 cities on the Misery list”. Not exactly the kind of press the visitors bureau would want, but then again not unexpected based on my experiences growing up in Stockton. It was pretty troubled back in the 70’s, I can only imagine what the place is like now with 25% foreclosure rates.

Not any of that affects my decision to go or not go to the reunion. Matter of fact, the event isn’t even being held in Stockton, they’ve moved it north to a winery in Lodi. Makes sense.

So, do I go or not go? Mrs S has done a rather magnificent job staying out the whole decision process. “Up to you” and “I’m not going”. She didn’t make me go to her 25th “you don’t know anyone there, why would I make you do something like that?” The message here “and don’t make me go to yours.” Which is kind of shame. It would be nice to show up with my smok’n hot wife under my arm just to prove out to many of the folks in my class that I’m not in fact a “fag”. I’m not sure many of the folks in the class would even remember my name other that that one.

My how things have changed.

For me blooming time came a few years later in college where I got involved in the Greek system, eventually becoming a Frat President. Nothing builds social confidence more than talking to local constables about kegs, under-aged drinking and impromptu wet t-shirt contests on the front lawn and so forth. Or the flat out lie that “there is no way that anyone from this house was standing on the hood of car urinating on a windshield, that’s just crazy talk”, 8 minutes after I’d been cheering on the fellows myself.  By the way, the same guys are now enormously successful attorneys and business people, just goes to show.

High School I was a quiet kid, hung out in the choir room most of my free time at school and spend almost all my afternoons and weekends, when I wasn’t working, on in a rowboat fishing on one of Stockton’s famous Fake Lakes. I wasn’t much of a social guy.

But it has been fun to get a glimpse of what some folks have been up to in the days since we were all in school. So, maybe running into these folks now would be sort of fun, funner than it was 30 years ago anyway.

On the other hand-

A trip to Stockton doesn’t come with a price. In certain circles there, yours truly is public enemy #1. Those circles are specifically the ones that share my last name, and their friends, the dreaded Parents.

Mrs S asked the fateful question, “would you drop in on your parents?” Hmmm The short answer is no. The longer answer is; to what end? After a decade or more of no communication I can’t see how anything other than one of more of the parties shuffling off the mortal coil doing anything to resolve this.

Seems I have some things to think about.

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January 8, 2011 · 11:42 pm

Amadeus, Rocked Me

Hellish day today, one of those that you know is going to bad a week before it happens so you can prepare for it. And I did.

I’ve been going on about 4 hours sleep today and running around ALL DAMED DAY. Tonight, Mrs S and I were over at the high school for their winter play, Amadeus.

I could be accused of being a piker, having a kid on the crew for all these, and they are high school kids after all so even if the show was terrible, I would probably write nice things right? Honestly I would write nice things about the those parts of the show that were deserving, and would just leave out any negative comments, that would be the “nice” thing to do.

Trust me here folks.. there is NO reason to do that with the shows Apple Valley High School puts on, and tonights performance of Amadeus, easily the best one I’ve seen yet. I was a little anxious going in, the show, at a solid three hours and with my short night I was afraid I would find myself dozing a bit, as I did during the last show. Mrs S noticed and I’ve been hearing about it ever since. Probably because it’s not unprecedented. Hell, I’ve dozed at NBA games and a Vikings game.

No need to worry here. Despite 3 coffees and a diet Mountain Dew I actually found this to be a fantastic script. I was also worried because in prep, I’d tried to watch the movie. Tried twice. Couldn’t get through it. Bo-Ring.

The stage production is much easier to follow, it’s presented as a dialogue by the main character, Antonino Salieri.

The performance tonight was outstanding, all the kids were excellent. The performance of the young man who played Salieri was easily the best acting I’ve ever seen by a student actor, and I would include the shows I’ve seen at the U. (Note, I don’t name minors in this space, company policy) The kid hit the grand slam. I don’t know how they select plays for the year, but I’m quite sure that when the director and drama coaches were looking at books for the season, they had this young man in mind. He played the part perfectly. I mentioned to the couple we attended with, if this were an athletic event, there’s your MVP.

The other really outstanding feature of the show, the staging and tech crew. The High School really does an excellent job creating scenes in all their productions and this was no exception. There’s no way to really hide the crew, so they directed the dialogue and spotted the characters on one side of the stage while the fully costumed crew did their scene changes. It worked great. Costumes had to be rented or borrowed, they were amazing. The other thing.. obviously a show about Mozart has some music, much of it recored and all if had to be perfectly cued, which it was.

The only sad thing about this show.. the house. Saturday night and it was less than half full. I mentioned to my wife that after next year, when our kid is graduated, we need to keep coming to these shows, they are outstanding. The high school could do a little better job with publicity as well. This theatre program is a great asset to our community.

Local readers- I never post this late, but I have a purpose. If you find yourself with nothing to do tomorrow afternoon, say football widows, or Wisconsin Rager Weekend widows, I highly recommend you head over to Apple Valley High school for the last performance of Amadeus. I believe it starts at 2:00. You will not be disappointed.

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September 1, 2010 · 7:18 pm

Big Chill

Got news this week about the passing of one of my favorite high school teachers. High school, not exactly a time of my life that I would be all that interested in going back too to be honest. I wasn’t a big fan of the whole scene and I didn’t like living at home much.

But, just to show the impact that great teachers can have on there students, there were three teachers that stick out to this day, two because of how great they were at teaching, motivating and being there for kids. One because of what a complete jackass he was.

So there you have it teachers, be really good or be really bad if you want to be remembered.

Gary Wright was my choir teacher. The only teacher I had all four years of school he was a gifted educator who connected with kids with humor and compassion and respect all the good things that the best teachers bring out in kids. I was better for having known him.

I contacted him later in life on Facebook and was little sad to learn that he didn’t remember me, surprise since my family was very difficult to work with when you were an educator, Mom was a teachers worst nightmare. And while I wasn’t all that surprised that he didn’t remember who I was, it didn’t matter. His job was to make me better and more confident, and that he did.

BTW, as long as I’m reaching out about great teacher, I do have shout out my favorite high school instructor, she had a huge impact on me as well, only in her case I didn’t realize it at the time. Arleen Wattel was my Freshman Comp teacher and later my Shakespeare and Lit instructor. No instructor in my entire high school experience did more to prepare me for college than  Mrs Wattel. I can say, with no exaggeration that she not only taught me to write, but she sparked a life long love affair with the written word. To this day I go out of my way to see Shakespeare on the stage, and every time I do, I think of her.

Funny thing, all the time we were in school we always thought Mrs Wattel was drill sergeant, used to joke about it in class. Little did we know she actually was a decorated Chief Warrant Officer in the California National Guard.

I chatted with my best buddy from high school, the only person from that time that I still have contact with, at least did before Facebook, Mark. He and I were in the Choir together. When I told him about Gary’s passing he made the following comment.

“Now that were on the back nine of life, there’s more of that sort of news to come?”

WFT? Back Nine of Life? This wasn’t supposed to be a Big Chill moment here.

Talking to college pal Jeff, I lamented a bit the idea that were heading to the Spiritual Clubhouse. Jeff, a brilliant analyst who’s very adept at making relevant analogies said the following.

“Sank, put a yardstick on the ground. If birth is 0 and death is 32 inches. Where do you think you are? Put your finger about 20 and see how much is left and how much is yet to go.”

OK Screw you too.

These are the two people who I’ve known the longest in my life, who have now conspired to light the fuse on my mid-life crisis. There better be a damned motorcycle or restored Porsche 911 in this for me somewhere or I’m gonna kick both their asses.

Or uh at least talk about it.

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