PEACE Be With You.....Weekend Tales...

Weekend Tales...

I retired from four-walls-confined teaching earlier this year, but I had still many files on my computer – tests and notes and the like... In late August I decided to get rid of these last remnants of my previous life...and before deleting them forever, I forwarded copies to a previous collogue who I heard is starting to teach higher math... I just wanted to be nice and generous...

USBs with heart and mind... They are very helpful too...

So I forwarded the files, of course no expectations...! But today I received a thank you email and some notes about the school and the math department that I used to lead and run...

It was nice of the teacher to write a “thank you note”... and I remembered... The disagreements that we had through the years... sometimes the disputes were very vocal and sometimes cordial and more subdued...

He was a good person... and had a childlike innocence that I appreciated very much... He was playful too... Several times he had danced for my students in my class... That’s how jovial he was... and friendly and respectful too... He did not keep any grudge...Of course after a dispute he kept a distance for several days...for several weeks...till tempers settled down and everything returned to the child-like innocence...

I remember the last day of school before I retired... he and the other teachers in the department had organized a farewell get together in a restaurant...  Most had attended, though there were few who did not care... After all, I will havr nothing to do with their life after that day and they did not have any expectations from me...So, they did not show up... But most had attended...  At one point this particular teacher, took me aside and offered me a shot of vodka...That was his way of saying...”I appreciated all your efforts”...  and I appreciated his gesture... He said... “to you...” After the shot he added; ... “We are very similar to each other... you and I work the same way...”

I am still thinking about this...and I will think about this a bit longer... But his “thank you” email clarified few points for me... It reiterated his child-like innocence and I appreciate it very much... and it also demonstrated his maturity to respond with a “thank you”... he did not hold any grudges... After all, to suck up on grudges is not the natural state of human beings...and with his “thank you” note he emphasized his humanely human characteristic...

"Thank you"....This one's for you...

If he will read this, I have to say thank you to him too... On the last day...after the shot he said ... “We are similar...” and indeed we are...after all, ALL of us are human beings...indeed we are..., but some more than the others...

 

...And this one is for all childlike innocent people....

***

My Dear Friend Ross...

During the time that I was teaching in my last school... I went out for friendly drinks only with the school chaplain... The chaplain, Ross, was a wonderful friend... He was very much like the other teacher that I described above... Ross had a very childlike innocence too...and he was not judgmental, at all... Indeed that’s why I had drinks with him  now and then...

He liked to place the orders... So the first time we went out he asked; “what will you have...”

“Vodka,” I responded...

Do not contaminate the vodka...!

“What you want in it...?”

“Nothing... Just straight vodka”...

“...any ice in it...?” He inquired...

“No...no...no... Do not contaminate the vodka...!” I emphasized.

He chuckled so loud that everyone looked at me...  And he repeated what I had said aloud so as those who were looking at him chuckle will hear...  “Do not contaminate the vodka...” and continued his healthy laugh...

The next day quite a few of his friends had heard the story too... and they were greeting me with... “Do not contaminate the vodka...”