Day 8 "Every picture has a story"

The cover of the memory book--cracked after 42 years

One of many pages.  I had not remembered how nice they were to me.

Day 8 "Every picture (here 2) has a story"

In the spring of 1976 I was offered my "perfect" job.  Mr. Hayek offered me the position of "Director of Education" at the North Dakota School for the Deaf.  I would be able to make decisions, I would be able to make what I thought were needed changes, (one change was I needed an extra classroom as we were busting at the seams with students.  I knew I needed the science teacher, Mr. W to give up his classroom and teach everything in his lab.  The problem was he was deaf and had been at the school for 30+ years.  In other words he was the old guard and old school.  I knew if I told him he had to give up his room it would cause friction  with many deaf older teachers.  My plan was to sit down with him and ask him for suggestions as to our room usage.  Presto, he came up with the idea of him giving up his classroom!!!) I would earn a larger salary which would allow my family to move to a place outside of town where maybe we could have some chickens and a horse.  The summer of 76 I completed my MS degree at UND in Grand Forks with a major in learning disabilities and a minor in administration.  In one of my admin classes we had a test and in handing back the test the professor said all of the scores were bunched together and then there was one above the rest.  He said he felt that person would make a great administrator.  It was mine.  I started the 1976/77 school year on a high of energy and work hours!

Then something happened.  It seemed that God starting pulling on Gail's heart and maybe there was a tiny tug on mine.  Our kids were getting school age and we were not happy with the friends they had and just the town in general.  We should have known if you live in a town where the high school nickname is "Devils Lake Satins" as a conservative Christian you may not be too content.   The kind of short story is God worked in many many ways and after the start of the 77/78 school year I turned in my resignation and in October we moved to St. Paul.  Now one has to think it is a good move when you go from DEVILS LAKE to ST PAUL!!!  I probably could write a book on all that went on and how things happened but will just say it was certainly the right thing to do.  The cover and the page are from the book that was given to me during a going away party.  I am guessing I may not have read it for 40+ years and I am not certain I ever read the whole book.  I will repair the front and back cover and then take some times down the road to read each page.  I was privileged to work with many very nice people.  I often had thoughts during the first few years after we moved.  The superintendent, Mr. Hayek, had cancer and died maybe 3 or 4 years later.  When I left we had 130 students and that slowly changed as major ND cities started their own deaf programs which meant fewer and fewer students went to the state school.  Today it is virtually a ghost school like so many ghost towns in ND.  Terry and I visited a couple of years ago and they had a dozen+ students with many of the buildings empty or occupied by other programs.  The wood shop that I loved is now used by the maintenance people.  For a long time now the long distance students fly or are driven home every weekend which is cheaper than having them stay at the school. 

As I read some of the pages in the book I was shocked and moved by many of the kind words.  Perhaps I am ready to relive some of the way way past and enjoy some of the people who were in my life then.

Yesterday was a lost day.  I just did not feel well most of the day and actually was in bed most of the PM.  I NEED to get things done so disappointing it was but today is a new day so maybe I can make up some ground.  I did try to start on the installation of one of the fans.  First the old fan had to come down with its 5 crystal globes. As I started to loosen them I thought wow they are an accident waiting to happen as one had fallen last year.  As I loosened the second small globe the large middle one went crashing to the floor with glass in a hundred directions.  Even though we cleaned it up and vacuumed things I still don't know if I can go barefoot in the living room.  I did get in a 5+ mile bike ride which was good. Also got some things out on the curb but I see everything is still there this morning.  Maybe free stuff that is OLD is not a desired thing now days!  

No it is down with the FP for now and up on the bike saddle for a ride.  On my way home I will stop at the grocery store for a couple of items.