Ramona Vreeland McCallum

I've been giving birth to babies in my bedroom, gardening, eating yummy food, laughing at my husband's jokes, watching a few good movies, founding an Eastern Orthodox Church in Western Kansas, re-learning my math facts as I home-school my kids, unsuccessively attempting to develop an obsessive-compulsive cleaning disorder, and watching my father's lined forehead gradually emerge in the mirror.

I remember the teachers very distinctly, how ardent they were, how genuinely concerned they seemed for our survival and success in the world. Mrs. Francis, Mrs. Icenogle, Mr. Stickney, just to name a few.

I remember taking things way too seriously and have wished over the years that I had gotten to truly know people better.