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Update 2023:
Recent life-changing events lead me here to update my status. Sadly, Carol, my sweetheart & soulmate for the past 47 years, passed away on January 7. Words can’t really describe what she meant to me- caring, witty, lovely, passionate about the things she cared for- and I will sorely miss her, as will many, many others. Perhaps the greatest tribute to her memory may be found at the website bold.org, where her fellow teachers (she taught secondary school some 40 years) have set up a scholarship in her name. Carol was truly an inspiration to so many who had the good fortune to know her.
But now my life has has been sent along a new path; one which I will travel with a certain amount of trepidation but which hopefully holds much promise. The vignettes I formerly wrote here, and which follow, describe who I have become. But my story has not reached its conclusion, and I am ready for the adventure ahead that determines who I will become. Wish the best for me!
Recently (Dec.) retired from teaching (southern!) French here in rural DeKalb County at the high school. Its been a trip, and I have had a blast doing it, but life is short, and it's time to try something different while I'm still able to enjoy it.
Married for 35 years to the same poor soul- imagine someone actually putting up with me for that long! She also teaches- IB senior English at Cookeville HS. As you might imagine, we mainly quibble about vocab, syntax, grammar, and other highly important matters. No money or kids to fight over.
We live with two dogs in a cabin on Center Hill Lake- if you're ever up here, stop by- first boat dock in Mullican Hollow- the one with the sailboat. We'll go sailing.
I spend a great deal of my free time at our farm in Jackson County, tinkering with various old motorcycles, tractor, garden and a million other projects I've basically put off till retirement. Don't ever get to thinking that retirement is somehow less work than a career. But I do set my own schedule and priorities now.
Looks like my priority now is grilling some chicken- the wife has arrived, and the house husband must slave over the hot grill to provide nourishment for the famished breadwinner.
More later . . .
Okay, got a little time to kill . . . let's see, where was I? Guess I need to fill in a bit of the missing years:
As some of you may remember (I know, it's starting to go, isn't it?) I was a bit serious about a relationship with a certain M.A.K., but that didn't quite work out as planned. Managed to come through relatively unscathed and out of (serious) trouble, finished at TTU (Cookeville) with a B.S. (appropriately enough) in Biology. I always was a nature boy, wasn't I? Decided that State Park living was not for me, and up and went back for teaching credentials, on the advice of the next serious lady in my life, Carolyn Collins. Who'da ever thought I would wind up marrying a big-city (Chicago) girl, and an Italian (from the southside) to boot? Well, I knew I'd hafta find something (constructive) to do, so I fell into teaching- French and English. Boy, that biology degree really paid off big time, huh?
I got certified in French and English (both minors in college) not because I especially had some aptitude for them, but because of a couple of wonderful professors who really piqued my curiosity and challenged my intellect. (Here I would like to give credit to some of the staff- we know who they were- at DHS for preparinig this wet-behind-the-ears kid for what lay ahead.) And it paid off for me in the end. The profession has done as much for me as I have done for my students (and in many cases, much, much more!) As I mentioned, it was a blast- field trips to Europe and plenty of places in between, French Club activities, all kinds of academic and social activities, sports, the lasting friendships- have kept me fresh (as a 58-yr-old geezer can wish for), challenged and amazed. Folks used to ask, "You have no children- so why teaching?" To which I reply, " Actually, I have around 4,000." There have been few more gratifying experiences for me than to have a former student, perhaps one I don't even recall, tell me what a difference I made in his/her life. That has been what my professional life has been about for the last 32 years- helping others get to a place in life they may not even know they can reach. Oh, I've had my share of sadness and disappointment, but through it all I have become what I did not know I could be, and that is someone who has made a difference in the lives of others. Okay, enough self-aggrandizing; back to the present, and . . .
RETIREMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As mentioned earlier, retirement is a point in life when you realize that all those things you've put off till then suddenly come to the front burner. So, I've prioritized my bucket list:
First, remodel and sell a rent house in Cookeville. Work I used to enjoy when I was doing it for my (our) benefit. But construction/ realty are not career options for this guy. This is not moving up; it's divestment of headaches.
Second, while on the subject of divestment, it's time to divest myself of around half the stuff this packrat has accumulated over the last 40-odd years. Craigslist here I come!
Third, update/remodel/landscape a farmhouse in Jackson Co. and a cabin on Center Hill. We are back and forth right now, between places. I spend most of my time in a workshop at the farm (another zillion projects), which brings me to . . .
Four, get the four motorcycles there in good shape. One- a shadow- is my present get-around bike. The others are all old Goldwings ('75, '78, '81) in various states of disrepair. But it's something I love.
Five, figure out sailing on Center Hill; it's harder than it sounds. There aren't many sailboats up here. But sailing does take me back to the good ol' days on Percy Priest toolin' around with Billy J. in his sunfish, and later, lemonater; gettin' wild at the cliffs; campouts on Little Island; snorkeling, shootin', drinkin' (there's a really great combination) and generally raisin' hell in the woods n' waters of Donelson, before it became whatever it is today.
Six, get my brother Mark to really semi-retire (his idea of retirement is two days off a month) and lay some decent pavement between my legs- I'm talkin' the " Honey I'll be back in about a month; feed the dogs and water the flowers" kind of cycle trip; not these long weekend things I've been doing.
Enough of the bucket list; let's get to what I've really been up to:
Many of you may remember the nature boy side of me in my younger years: President of the prestigious Conservation (i.e., huntin' and fishin') Club. Well, these days I'm doin' less shootin', and more listin' of birds and other wildlife (though a .45 still feels comfortable in the hand). Not so much fishin' and much more water doggin' around Center Hill. And, as botany was my thing in college, I get a kick out of knowing as many of the trees and wildflowers as I can. I did end up teaching Biology for a number of years, so all that field biology I got in college really did come in handy.
Then there's gardening: I mean, when you've got a few acres of ground (mostly timber), it would be a shame not to put it to some use besides growing ticks, chiggers, and briars (my primary crops on 100 acres of Jackson Co. hillside).
And to those former charter members of the "DHS spelunking team", I would encourage you to google: "Hawkins Impact Cave".
