For What It's Worth...

Below is the entire transcript of an email sent to me by one of my former students. He is currently a senior at the high school I taught at last year. The italics are mine- nothing else has been changed, unless you count names. Students like him are the reason I began teaching in the first place- sadly, they are few and far between. The "trash" that he refers to at the beginning is the fact that I'm a poor disciplinarian (which I've discussed before) and that I don't mind if the students talk, as long as they're learning. After a while, you hear so much criticism that you almost begin to believe it- getting a letter like this makes it all okay.

Hello, from an old friend. I do miss you terribly. As much trash as people talk about you being a teacher, I actually despise them. I don't care what people think of me. If these people have no lives of their own and have to talk bad about others just to make them feel like they indeed have one, well that is not much of a life to begin with. I'm a senior. That means I not have three months left until I am face to face with the wide open world. I do feel extremely excited, because I'm leaving the prologue stage of my life and moving to chapter one. I feel happy, yet I feel another emotion at the same time. I'm scared. I don't want to make a mistake that will cause future problems. I have many priorities already set. Everyone tells me that my priorities I have now are nothing, because they will be completely different in a few years. I am the type of guy who, no matter what, sticks firmly and strongly to his goals and beliefs. I am determined to do whatever it takes in order to achieve what it is I desire. I'm looking at colleges now. I have managed to procrastinate this year regarding SATs, college admissions and preparation. What I want to do is to stay home and go to Clayton State for a few years and achieve my CORE curriculum, then it is time to look at film schools. I want to take it one step at a time, but I see long leaps reaching out for me. Everyone I know is really excited for me, but for some reason I just see it in two different ways. First, I see it as me starting a new life and getting ready for the new world with new people and new standards. But secondly, I see it as leaving the life I was living. For some reason I look at that as maturing. Life is not exactly how we want it, am I right? The ideal, perfect life we all want exists in our heads, but it is our job to make what is in our heads reality. I look to you for advice for several reasons. One being, you are one of the most knoledgable people I have ever met. In our class you would always talk. The subjects you tackled and the leassons you taught were outstanding. Your morals and beliefs are sorted and well thought out. You taught me to think for myself, which no one really does anymore. Everyone is out to seek the strongest group or crowd, whether they believe or agree with the crowd or not. I am open-minded for several reasons. I think that not too many people stop and use their brain when certain matters occur. I want to knoe more. I will listen to as much advise as you have to offer to me. You are a very smart man, and I would be stupid not to listen to you. Thank you so much for everything you have taught me. I will use what you have given me wisely. Tell your wife that I said hello and hope that she is doing well. The same for you. I hope that maybe we can all get toget together sometime. You, Mrs. XXXXXX, XXXX and myself. Well I guess there is nothing more I can say now.

I consider the lines I italicized to be literary, if only because they tell the truth. They have a ring to them louder than church bells.