If You Can Read This...

Tonight is our big Stake Teacher Appreciation night. All the graduating seniors get to invite one special teacher and honor them. It's a GREAT event in it's own right, not to mention a fabulous missionary tool. It did get me thinking about different teachers in my life who have taught me various things. Here are a few I'd like to thank:

Mrs. Riggs in 4th grade, a genuine 1960's hippie, complete with straight hair that was long to her waist and Birkenstock sandals: Thanks for teaching me that having someone read to you while you rest your head on your desk right after lunch can be a highlight of the day. I can still remember the pictures that went through my head as she read "The Big Wave" by Pearl Buck.

Mrs. Story, who taught 6th grade to two of my daughters. You taught all of us a true love of writing, and that it can and should be contagious. Long live the Poetry Cafe.

My VERY MEAN 9th GRADE ENGLISH teacher who I can't remember her name: Thanks for teaching me that unless you decide to be a happy person, you probably will live an angry life. ( It was traumatic at the time, but it sure taught me something! )
This angry lady once caught me during a vocabulary test with part of the notes sticking out of my notebook under my chair, and FLEW across the room to accuse me very loudly of cheating. Now let me just tell you, I would rather DIE than cheat - mostly to avoid any sort of situation LIKE THIS. I was a very quiet student, and usually did my best to fly under all teacher radar. She actually called for an aid to watch the class, and marched me down to the English office to call my parents. Well, my parents were as shocked as I was and so pretty much the only thing that happened was she gave me an "F" for the day. I guess she wasn't satisfied with that, though, because a couple of weeks later she loudly accused me of not handing in my final paper. Worth half my grade. Which I DID turn in. Believe it or not, she marched me again down to the English Office, where my mom informed her that if I said I had turned it in, I had, and that was the end of the discussion. I remember her telling my mom I would likely get a D in the class in which I currently had an A, and my mom saying that would be fine. (I'm sorry, whose mom was she talking to? "A D will be fine?" )
In the end, she "found" my paper - said it was caught on the staple of the paper on top of it, and that I should be more careful turning things in. Whatever. Every now and then when I find myself a bit more angry than I should be, I remember that I don't want to be a bitter old lady! Who probably had no friends. And no husband. And probably no dog. (I bet she had a cat!)

Thanks to Ms Cross, the PE teacher who taught me that personal hygiene is a choice. Maybe if she had taken advantage of those showers in the locker room....

and finally,

Thanks to Sister Richmond my Mia Maid advisor for teaching me that genuine love is a magnet. It doesn't hurt to be funny, either.

*Thanks to Kristy Steele for the blog inspiration.