Mr. Reese was my fifth grade teacher. He was the first male teacher that I had and the teacher that every fourth grader hoped that he would get. All of my other teachers had been “women”. I was happy that I was finally getting a “man” teacher. Don’t get me wrong, I liked all …
Fore!
Starter Set I’ve enjoyed playing golf since the beginning of my teaching career. My parents bought me a starter set for my birthday my first year in the classroom. It was a very simple set with four irons, a driver and a putter. On the first day of having my clubs I was “chipping” …
Notepads and Gigabites
When I neared the end of the teaching portion of my career, personal computers were just finding their way into schools. They started in offices and made their way slowly into classrooms. Apple, PET, Texas Instrument, Atari and several other brands made their way onto the hi-tech scene . Life, as we knew it, changed …
Two Trips to Vegas
My dad was a card player. He liked to play all sorts of games. He, like me, had just one rule. “Tell me the rules before we start.” He played euchre, 500, gin, pinochle, double-deck pinochle and tonk, but most of all he liked poker and blackjack. His favorite place to play blackjack was Las …
James A. Marvin
I met Jim Marvin about 30 years ago at a poker game. I was invited to sub with a group that he belonged to. I liked him right away. Eventually, I became a member of the group and while playing several hundred hands of cards we became good friends. The group took turns hosting …
Time
Time is a funny thing. When we’re young time passes very slowly. Our next birthday and Christmas seem like they’ll never come. Summer vacations are about the only “time” of the year that time passes quickly. I was going through some old school documents from my education career and ran across the following story. …
Napkins and Sugar Packets
I recently decided upon a new career path. It was a spontaneous inspiration fueled by a challenge that most of us face each day. Unbalanced tables. I have decided to invest in a fleet of commercial vans that will be: 1) Nimble. 2) Provide for the greatest impact and thus increased income. 3) Employ …
Mustard Lids
Several years ago, my friend, Jim, and I were waiting for an airplane and noticed the large number of people talking on their cell phones. We understood that we were witnessing the beginning of a revolutionary, societal change. Ruth and I took our grandson, Brady, to California for the past few days and everywhere we …
My Rookie Year
I became an elementary school principal in 1977. I had two interviews prior to getting the job. The first was with the superintendent, Roger, the high school principal, Don, and the middle school principal, Rick. They liked me and invited me back for a second interview which was held in a local restaurant. This …
Water
When I walked into my office this morning (Tuesday) the carpeting squished beneath my bare feet. Carpet is not supposed to squish. Water!!! My first thought was to look up. A majority of the pipes for the kitchen run above the ceiling in my office. In a prior life this room served as David’s bedroom. …