Today I am sharing a slice of my life from over thirty-seven years ago. This tale is told from two different perspectives. The choices we make, can affect us for a lifetime. You will discover why this is posted on Valentine’s Day.
Fall 1975, this is to be my final semester because during the summer, I realized that I would have enough credits to graduate at semester. All I needed was to complete student teaching and a philosophy of education class. Yes, I will finally be able to stop being a student and actually get into the real world of teaching. I am anxious to get started on this part of my life.
The classroom was already crowded, voices buzzed in conversations waiting for the professor. I scanned the surprisingly packed room, finally I spotted my best friend thankful she had saved me a seat. I quickly made my way over to her and we began chatting while we waited for class to start. Soon another body took the open seat beside me. I glanced over and recognized a guy who had been in one of my basic education classes the year before. I didn’t really pay much attention to him, but fleeting thoughts went back to that previous class. He didn’t always attend (yes, I was always in attendance). He was a chatty, noisy guy with the people around him (I was never around him, so I just observed him from a distance. I was very shy so it was hard for me to talk to people.) He nodded as we made eye contact, so I knew he remembered me. He began talking to the girl on the left side of him.
He stood in the doorway with only a minute to spare before class was to start. The room was already crowded. His eyes scanned the sea of faces looking for a friend in the crowd. “There’s a seat next to a girl I know,” he thought, “but on the other side is that girl from the class last year. Do I really want to sit by her, she seemed so stuck up. Yes, I really want to sit by someone I know.” He made his way down the aisle and sat next to the friend, nodding to the other girl as he took his seat.
He discovered over time that this girl wasn’t really stuck up. He discovered she was friendly, funny, and caring. He discovered that this would be his partner for life.
This year we will celebrate our 35th anniversary in June. Life changes in an instant. That instant changed the course of my life, and I am so glad it did!
In fact many have been shopping. Check out the current state of the matting now. I guess we will be replacing mats every year. It’s a small price to pay for the smiles these silly birds bring.
