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I retired in 2001---big mistake! I currently substitute several days a week. Unless you are currently in the field of education on the secondary level, you guys probably have no idea of how high school has changed. Just come walk the halls of Martin...believe me, kids today are not the same! (I sound like my parents and grandparents, don't I? "You kids today....")
I love my two grandchildren, Susie and Jess. Susie is smart as a whip, especially in verbal skills; of course, I do what I can to increase her vocabulary (yes, we have vocabulary words...old habits just won't die...at age 4 I taught her the word facetious!) and try to enhance her love of literature and movies! (We just saw Avatar together.) She has such a huge heart, is a lover of all people and cultures/lifestyles, and is growing up to accept everyone as equal. (I clearly am passing on my democratic, liberal philosophy to my granddaughter.) I absolutely love spending time with this angel! Oh, and she thinks Jay Gilliam is really hot...she's been out to dinner with us several times...and always asks me how Jay is doing!
Jess is a different story. What a difference there is in little boys and girls! We call Jess "The Destroyer," and he lives up to his nickname. He is just gettting into the Super Heroes thing.....I am having to learn about these subjects. The other day he had to go to time out at Pre-School because he was The Wolverine, practicing his hand thrust....and "accidentally" shoved his hand into the face of another little boy....or so goes his story. He is quite musical with lots of rhythm, loves to dance, sing, and play his guitar...he prefers heavy metal.
This little guy is such a joy and a real miracle! Some of you know that Jess was born with a fist-sized brain tumor that prevented neuron connection in that part of the brain...and we were told that he would be blind, possibly deaf, walk with a lumbering gait (if at all), have severe epilepsy possibly requiring brain surgery...and due to the cortical dysplasia (which is irreversible), his hands would remain in a crossed position against his chest all his life, with his never being able to open his fists or use his hands/arms...all this in addition to severe brain damage! Lisa learned about the tumor in the 6th month of her pregnancy, with each month that followed revealing some other devastating fact. After deciding to continue the pregnancy rather than face a late term abortion of a 8 lb. pound baby, Lisa lived for 2 months in the NICU unit of Presbyterian Hospital...and guess what? At about the 4th month, those little fists opened up, the arms unfolded, and the tumor began to shrink. (It is now almost gone and should not require surgery.) There has been no epilepsy, no deafness, and no blindness (although peripheral blindness may exist)---talk about being excited that he can be the Wolverine and have the physical ability to actually thrust that fist into someone's face (yes, I know to actually thrust" is a split infinitive!) About the brain damage, we just don't know at this point (3 years). It has been described to us like a bowl of jello with a large rock thrown into it---a fist-sized tumor in his brain during the Lisa's entire pregnancy, shoving around the brain from back to front, from side to side....at one time, they thought he had 3 tumors, not realizing that it was so large, it was squashing the tiny brain like a rock in jello and moving all over his brain. All his docs will say is that this is worse than "Shaken-Baby Syndrome." All I know is that Jess seems perfectly normal to me----knows colors, can count to 20, has a good vocabulary....but his many doctors say the brain damage can show up later on as he develops further.....so your prayers and/or positive thoughts are requested for our Jess. We are keeping the faith. God may have something in store for our little Wolverine! Look at the miracles that have occurred thus far.
My husband John Mack is well and enjoying retirement. He was in 7th Heaven this fall when his beloved Horned Frogs went to the bowl game...you may remember that he played football for the Frogs back in the late 50's.
Well, I need to quit rambling on...I am sure those of you who had me remember this habit----do you remember how you always tried to get me to "tell another story" so class could be delayed? (Yes, I knew what you were doing!)
I miss all of you...more than you could possibly know. My life would not have been the same without you...and I think of you all the time. You provided real purpose in my life, and I don't think I ever pulled into the parking lot and walked into the building of any school where I taught without joy in my heart. And, as a sideline, you provided me with wonderful stories to tell all that I meet!
