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 ...

Have you ever been to the aviary at the zoo? It is one of my favorite places. You walk into this artificial tropical dome fulled with plants and stunningly beautiful birds, and there's no barrier between you and the loveliness. You're allowed to walk through there and drink in the peace. There's also a sort of noisy silence inside the aviary. I say that because it isn't quiet in there at all, but there's a still, almost holy feeling when you step inside.  You can spend as much time in there as you'd like, listening to the exotic calls of unseen birds and waiting to catch a glimpse of the ones who decide to show themselves.       I'm reminded of the aviary on Sunday mornings when my ladies' Bible class meets. On some mornings, every woman wears a different color, and every week I'm struck my by the different beauties each woman brings. One brings her practical love for serving others. One grows roses. Another brings her particular love ...

A job is a job . I like to tell myself, "If what I do were easier and more fun, people would pay to do it instead of getting paid to do it." At the same time, I must admit that I don't exactly work for the great pay or anything.  I'm a teacher. My job can be rough, and people who aren't teachers seem to have a vague idea about that. Most people I talk to about my job bring up how "tough kids are to deal with these days," which is unquestionably true. However, there are other things about teaching that people who aren't teachers usually don't understand.  I must say that many people don't have any conception about the time teachers actually spend on their work. Even my husband still doesn't realize all that my job entails. We actually fought about it when I first began working in the classroom. The scene would be like this -- ( Midnight. On the couch of Brandy's living room. A lamp is on near her head, papers are scattered a...

Two things happened. First, I was on my way to work, mentally whining. I don't like waking up early every day, and sometimes it makes me grumpy. About the time I was daydreaming about my warm blankets, I pulled up to a stop sign to turn right and head to school. I paused and looked up through the windshield at a very lovely sunrise. I must confess I appreciate that part of my drive to school every morning. Sitting at the stop sign, I can see for a long way into the distance, and I also happen to be facing directly east. I make it there every day just in time to see the sun coming up over the hills. There's a lake, and I live in a rural area, so the land is fairly undeveloped and pristine. Anyway, a few days ago It dawned on me (okay, I know -- bad pun) that I get to see that stunning view every   morning. I get up, drive my car through pastures and woods, and pull up to a perfect sunrise. Then I thought about how many years I've been teachi...

What do you want? Has anyone ever asked you that question? If you've ever gone to a restaurant in the mall food court, you've surely been asked the same question by a bored fast food employee with a mouth full of gum and an attitude. Usually the answer is as simple as, "Fries and a coke." You should see me in a new restaurant. I nearly fly into a panic when I'm handed the menu because I want it all. In my heart I want to taste every new, good, delicious thing, so much so that it's a problem for me. Sometimes I take forever making up my mind or order quickly and experience a strange regret later that I didn't try the "special funky chicken." Most of the time it leads me to overeat. I think, "Just one more bite!" or "Of course, I'll have dessert." There's nothing inherently wrong with enjoying good food. In fact, it's one of the delights of this life, but, for me, the unhealthy relationship I have with food h...