Ringing Like a Bell

It happened again today. My students went all "piranha" on me with the same old questions. "Why do we have to do this anyway? I mean, who cares about Virgil?"  I wanted to snap back with something like, "Well, you never know. He might be your guide through Hell someday," but the reference would be beyond them anyway because we haven't gotten to Dante yet.  Not to mention the fact that all of them would go home and tell their parents that I said all of them were going to Hell. You can imagine the mess that would create. Instead I spent a little bit of time explaining myself to them. I try to do that as much as I can because I was always that pesky kid who always wanted to know why. I want them to understand why we're doing what we're doing every day. ( Disclaimer: If you don't want to read all this, skip down to the embedded video at the bottom, and watch it.) Then I thought about it some more and decided that I would tell you why I ch...

I, like my favorite literary icon, 'dearly love to laugh.'  In fact there's only one thing I like better --  making other people laugh. Last week I co-hosted our school's annual Relay for Life talent show. In between acts, Mr. H and I regaled the audience with embarrassing stories about falling down in public or being caught in mid - "Baby Shark" dance. I shared some of my best stories about how I don't need the subtitles on the show Moonshiners , how I got in a fight with my sister-in-law over some cole slaw, and how my dad sometimes calls me just to say, "Roll Tide!" This past week I've really seen how much joy and laughter there is at my school. I'm thankful. Victor Borge was right: laughter is the shortest distance between two people. In fact, there have been times when humor has been my saving grace in the classroom. Often when tension or conflict arises, if I can say something funny about it or change the subject entirely, the m...

String together the pearls of A thousand mornings Torn from a warm bed To clean shower Or comfort a friend A thousand more spent In leisure with warm blankets, Books, and tea. Line up the shells of many moments Spent in prayer. All that time Speaking to heaven And waiting in silence For a gentle response. Stack the essays Passed through Ink stained hands, Each one Worried over With a creased Brow and pen. Bag up the hugs of friends Wrapped round your waist -- And kisses from Those loved best And lost. Amass the heartbeats Felt on mountaintops And beside the sea. Bottle up your tears Of joy and grief From moments Forgotten and remembered. Tie up all the conversations Treasured and discarded. Spare a glimpse for those Remembered, yet Remember the past Only as it gives you pleasure. Bind all these parts with one Quick stir and Stand back to admire All the life ...