I Take Pride in What My Students Accomplish

“I Take Pride in What My Students Accomplish”

My greatest triumphs have been taking pride in watching what my students have accomplished. It feels so good to have had a role in developing these fine young people.

One big thrill for me personally was being a majorette, and being out in front of the band. We had a fantastic high school band. It was exciting. One year we went to twirling camp in Wheeling, West Virginia. We were putting on a demonstration at a football game, and I made a wrong turn. Everyone else went left, and I went right!

Man, I just played it up! I did a couple more steps, did an about- face and double-timed it back to the lineup.

Another time, our band was invited to do the halftime show at the Cleveland Browns versus Pittsburgh Steelers football game. That was exciting. I was a majorette at both at high school, and at Bowling Green University.

Most people don’t believe it, but I’m a shy person. When I get into situations where I don’t know people, I often back away.

Also, I’ve probably suffered from minor depression for my whole life. I’m not manic; I don’t have euphoria and then funks, but there are times when I feel a real lack of motivation. I’ve been taking anti-depressants for a great number of years; even before I came out to California. It’s never been so bad that I’ve talked about ending my life though.

Teaching was always such a joy, until the very end. I got tired of the budget battles. I had been through it before twenty – something years and I just said: “I’m not doing it anymore.”

So I quit in, license to sell insurance. But almost right away I figured out that I didn’t wanna do that either. Then I went and got my real estate license.