Thursday, January 25, 2007
 

My Confession


Today, much to my chagrin, I--Bev Trexel--have a confession to make: I am a packrat.

Remember my first goal for the year? To "clean out the boxes leftover from teaching." My most reasonable resolution, I thought at the time. So this morning I had my husband bring down the boxes from the attic to the spare bedroom. I expected five, maybe ten boxes. But the boxes kept coming--fifteen, twenty, twenty-five! I guess this project will take a little longer than anticipated. (Angie, quit your gloating.)

But I know certain people wouldn't let me live it down if I turned back now. So I dug into my first box--which I will have you know was well labeled as from my first year of teaching.

It was only about three-quarters full, mostly with paper. Memos from other teachers. A notebook I started of dos and do-not's. Copies of the school paper and programs from school plays. Stacks of worthless notes from school meetings, board meetings, teacher meetings. Goodness! I never realized how much time I wasted in worthless meetings.

But in the bottom of the box, wrapped in tissue paper, was a small wooden apple ornament with eyeglasses etched into the surface. Tucked beside it was the tag "from Gregory James."

He was one of those problem students from day one. He always acted up in class, landed in the principal's office once a week, and declared loudly how much he hated English, hated books, and hated anything to do with reading.

Then one day I caught him in the library, trying to read the book I'd assigned him. His nose nearly touched the page. No wonder he hated books so much. He couldn't see to read them!

So by the next class, a pair of glasses ended up on his desk. I never saw him wear them, but his grade went from a D to an A in one quarter, and at the end of the year, I found the apple on my desk.

Maybe being a packrat isn't such a bad thing after all.

--Bev

Bev's tidbits:

Word of the Day: Consanguineous—adjective meaning of the same blood or origin, or descended from the same ancestor.

Grammar Rule of the Week: Do not spell out dates or other serial numbers except when they appear in dialogue.

Poem of the Month: "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Classic Book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Posted by Bailey Truitt @ 7:00 AM
Comments:
So, are you saying you're consanguineous with the rat family?
Posted by Blogger Angie Brendt : 11:38 AM
 
Now, Angie, was that nice? You two are supposed to be buddies. Leave the Bev-sniping to Wilbur.
Posted by Blogger Leslie Brymes : 11:39 AM
 
Bev, I do hope you and I can meet sometime. Seems to me we are kindred spirits.
Posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 11:40 AM
 
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