"I see my reputation is at stake; my fame is shrewdly gored." (Troilus & Cressida)

.....It's been a long, long time since Father's Day when we started out to drive to New York; a big mistake of course.  But we did plan to honor the invitation to Rhoda's nephew's wedding, and since I did not want to fly ever again--we took to the car.  It was about then that I contacted acute bronchitis which is still plaguing me in spite of all the steroids and nebulizer treatments I've been taking.  So, I imagine that when you reach my age it takes a lot longer to get well than it did when I was 20.  I was 20? When was that?  But this illness is not the only problem that I have been occupied with.  I was seeing double while driving with the distance glasses I had been wearing, so when I went to the eye doctor a few days ago, he had a prism put into one of the lenses, so now I see triple.  Reminds me of a joke.  "Hey, Doc, I see triple when I open my left eye".  So the Doc replies, "So, don't open it.  $20 copay, please."

.....In the previous post, Ruth Grimsley wrote in a comment that I should avoid publishing "encomiums" about me from former students.  I could understand why she would advise that, and her reasons deserve merit.  However, I did respond to that in a comment of my own, which if you fail to read it, here is what I wrote:

(Ruthie, dear: I feel that I must document the greatest part of my "legacy" which is the 30 years I spent in front of a class full of teenagers most of whom were reluctant to be there and certain that they were to be bored. This blog is a diary which, hopefully, my descendants may read one day; and I trust that perhaps some neighbors are reading it now, and will get to know me better than they do now with their perception primarily of me as a WWII veteran with some medals which they never heard of. I prefer them to know me through the eyes and minds of my former students who are in their 60s and 70s, and who remember me in special ways. These ways are significant in the story of my life; so why should I neglect and hide them?)


OK, So the following is not from a student, but from a colleague, a teacher and coach of great intellect and skill:


Dear Cleverest One of All,

.

The Doc Rosses of the world are truly humble, and do not always recognize the inter-generational positive effect they have on the world. You should be aware that your influence upon your students will be felt long into their own lives.  Your example of courage, persistence, and honor was so important in a school full of jaundiced time-servers.

 One of the greatest gifts we can transmit to students is an appreciation of great literature. Your enthusiasm and acting skills brought outstanding authors to life. While Shakespeare was your forte, my favorite was the way you did Robert Burns, complete with an accurate Scotch burr. I was never careless with praise, and never gave a damn about what anyone thought of me, so when I say that you were the only GREAT teacher I ever met in the public high school system; you can take it to the bank. More important, you were a Renaissance Man, whose interests and skills went far beyond the academic. Your daughters are only one of your great accomplishments, although that would be enough for you to have lived your life very well, indeed.

 

Incidentally, I've written a show.