I’m thankful that this semester is almost over. I’m completely exhausted and my brain feels liquefied. I’m stretched about as thin as I can go, so Christmas Break cannot get here soon enough. I realize that this is a fairly lame thankful post, but after the week and especially the day I’ve had, this is all I’ve got today. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.
Tag Archives: education
Friday Morning Ramblings – Thankful #12
I’m thankful for the teachers who shaped me into the person I am today. The impact these people had on my life cannot be overstated. Ms. Whimer (it’s been 30 years so I may have misspelled that) was my third grade teacher who pushed me to challenge myself. She was a wonderful teacher with a lot of patience and concern for our well-being. Mrs. Fontana, may she rest in peace, taught me in fourth and fifth grades. She more than anyone instilled in me a love of reading, and she as much as anyone is why I became a writer. The world is a worse place without her in it, and a full generation of students missed out on a wonderful teacher because she left us way too soon.
Mr. Thiessan was my Industrial Arts teacher in both seventh and eighth grades, and the best teacher I’ve ever encountered on any level. I owe that man more than I can express because he saw potential in me that no one else at that point in my life noticed. My family went through some very hard times during those two years, and without his guidance, commitment to standards, passion for knowledge, and dedication to his job, I might have fallen through the cracks. He sparked my creativity and allowed me to flourish on my own. I am certain that without him, I would not have the skills I have today.
Mrs. LaFever was both my freshman and senior English teacher. She was tough, demanding, overbearing, critical, sometimes mean, sometimes snide, but always passionate. She held us to the highest of standards and accepted nothing less than our best. I learned more about the English language from her than anyone else and am grateful for her unwavering commitment.
Dr. Armstrong and Ms. Kell were my biggest influences at WSCC. They pushed me to broaden my thinking and express my thoughts clearly. They pushed me out of the nest and forced me to spread my wings. Without them, I wouldn’t have discovered my voice.
I had several excellent teachers at the University of Memphis, and I don’t want to leave any one individual out. As an undergraduate, I learned who I was and just how much I could accomplish. I grew and flourished more during those years than just about any other time in my life, and I am grateful to those educators for pushing me so hard and demanding so much from me.
Education is the skill of drawing out of individuals what they are capable of doing, and I am thankful that my life was touched so deeply by so many outstanding teachers. Too often, educators are not given thanks for their service to our country, so to all of the professional educators who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of others, thank you for all you’ve done for us.
Tuesday Afternoon Ramblings – Thankful #9
Because I didn’t get to post my entry about pride on Sunday, I’m doubling up the thankful entries today to get back on track.
I’m thankful that this is my 200th blog entry. “The Ramblings of D. A. Adams” began a year and a half ago as a means for me to write about whatever odd ideas popped into my head from time to time. So far, I feel as if the blog has lived up to that original mission. Some days I ramble about sports, other days parenting, still others politics, and all the while, there has been no self-censorship on the topics. If the notion compels me, I write about it.
Along the way, I’ve made some new friends, readers who enjoy the eclectic nature of “The Ramblings.” I’ve also managed to piss off a few friends so badly that they deleted me from their Facebook accounts. To these people, I apologize, not for what I said that might have angered you, but that you took things so personally as to think I was attacking you. I’m a smartass who likes to mock absurdity, and for the last year and a half, the absurdity business has been a-booming, but it’s never personal.
I’m grateful to have this outlet for my narcissism. As a novelist, I receive feedback on my writing long after the fact, and I often feel as if I’m writing in a vacuum. With “The Ramblings,” I often get instant feedback from readers, some good, some bad, but usually pertinent to the topic, and for that I’m grateful. I enjoy this blog and hope to have the opportunity to continue it for many years to come. That is, as long as the Fox News Gestapo doesn’t whisk me away to some remote dirt road and beat me to death with tire irons. As long as that doesn’t happen, I’ll keep on rambling.
Big Owl's Tree 