I received a phone call last night as Terry and I were watching a movie. I let it go to voice mail as it seems now days at least 5 of 6 calls are spam (not the Austin MN spam either). Later as I picked up the phone I saw it was from a friend whom I occasionally play tennis with. His voice message said that, because of the virus, he is suspending all his tennis play. WOW! Brother Dave sent me an e-mail yesterday day about the virus so I will read it this morning but my thought at this time is playing outside in warm weather in a non contact sport should be a good thing. I will have to read more to see if that is true or not. I will play tennis at 9:00 this morning. I did look at the tennis web site and 7:30 has two open courts while the 9:00 and 10:30 courts are full. In a normal time there would be NO open courts in the morning in March.
I did take Terry to her Dr. appt yesterday and had to wait for about an hour so I took in a couple of stores just to see what is happening out there. At the grocery store I was careful to not touch anything but rather I just walked around to see supplies. I took some pictures but if I were to post them it would be same old same old. The paper sections had nothing on the shelves, the bread shelves were maybe at 20% full and the choice meat cooler had ZERO in it. The main meat cooler maybe was at 15% full. There were also several other shelves that looked not empty but not very full either.
Well it looks like the days and weeks ahead may be filled with work projects, reading books, watching movies and a tiny bit of "out and about". Plans for the day are for tennis at 9:00 and that is it. I looked at the Naples paper headlines before I left it for Terry and the headlines were about people from Canada needing to fly home. We have not even seen our friend John who lived next to us but I am guessing he is home by now. I think his health is good but he is several years older than I so am sure he wants to be careful. Well I think I said in days past that people from Canada need to get home because Canada government is saying IF they do not return in a certain time and then get sick they will not be covered by insurance. The virus is a strange thing. Some get it and hardly feel sick while others get it and die within a short time.
Anyway perhaps enough for today. I actually had a different breakfast this morning and am now questioning if it was a good idea. I did up 5 brats in our brat cooker a couple of days ago so I had hash browns and a brat for breakfast, not sure that was good for tennis! Well of course I did have and am having that FP which is a must! ON TO MEMORIES FOR NOW
September 5, 2006
The five days of in service were now history and the students will arrive this morning. Our paper route went well this morning and I am ready for my new students as I enter High Park Junior at 6:30 AM. As I walk through the NW door I realize this is my twenty-ninth year of walking through this door to teach. Oh my how time flies. I have done much planning for this day, for this year.
I have a calendar with days counted down to June 15, 2007. That is the day I will wrap up 38 years of work in the field of deaf education. As I sit at my desk in room 110 I, for a moment, reflect back to September of 1969. I was almost clammy as I waited for my very first class of deaf students. They were fourth grade and mostly boys. They had almost did their teacher in the year before and I think Mr. Hayek felt I could get them in line. I would say I actually did but it was not without sweat and yes some blood as well1 NOW, thirty-eight years later here I am with some of the same feelings as I await the first day of classes. Of course life is very different now. Gail and I are kind of the old generation now. My parents have passed away a long time ago as well as Chic Saunders. We are looking at my last year of working in deaf education and then we have plans for doing things that we have not had time to do as we raised our family of John, Travis, Aaron and Cynthia. I will endure the next 170+ work days of the school year and then our life will change big time.
I page through a three ring notebook that I have on my desk. I have printed out each month through June of next year. Each work day is numbered and they go down down until June 15th arrives and that will be day ZERO.
I am not looking forward to the year. My relationship with my co-worker, who I share a room with, is less than good. I would like to believe I had no part in it falling apart but then I will not say for sure! Anyway I have not and will not share with any co-workers that this is my last year of work. Perhaps I am afraid that if I do they will be glad!
Anyway I will fast forward to June of 2007. I have shared my intentions with my co-workers and I do not know if they are negative, positive or neutral. I have had appointments with the central office downtown and I am set for my last day. As I arrived this morning I turned in my building keys so that is done. Over the last couple of months I have often stayed later than most people in the building. That has allowed me to empty my desk of personal things as well as a 4 drawer file that was filled with most of my things. We have said farewell to the students a couple days ago and have actually had some building meetings in the last couple of days. Of course it has been difficult for me to concentrate as anything they talked about for the coming year was of no interest to me. This is the LAST day and it is only a half day. Over the intercom they announce that from 9:00-10:00 there will be an all school workshop on the computers that will be relevant to next fall. What do I care? Marcia and Diane are in the room and as they get up to leave they ask me if I am coming. In a quiet voice I say I will be down shortly! Diane, the interpreter, looks at me and with a slight glint in her eyes she says, "I know what I will find when I return!" She was correct. I waited several minutes after the final call for teachers and then I quickly gathered the last of my things and headed through the library which was on the north end of school away from the computer room. I headed out the northwest door to my car and I was gone. That was almost thirteen years ago. I have not been in Highland Junior since.
Of course I found out that life would change in many ways. It was the end of thirty-eight years of working in education and the start of many new things in my life. If I had to do it over again I do not think I would change much if any!
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