“We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.” ~ Stephen King, 11/22/63
I need to write you a story in this week's Update. I want to tell it to you because of the party last Friday. Cooper staff threw a wonderful retirement party. I have so many memories of last Friday night. I was very touched by Randy's comments and by Sarah's comments. I was so happy to celebrate this life change with all of you.
But my story is about one of the gifts you gave me: A New Telescope.
When I was a young factory worker, I first became a father. My oldest son, Josh, who was at the party Friday, was born in 1978. When we were pregnant with him, friends threw a shower with gifts for his mother with things that were mostly for her. I kiddingly whined that men should get a shower, too, and my friends threw me a little surprise dad-shower. I got some fun items to use, and they also chipped in to give me a small telescope for looking at the stars. They believed I could use it to start a new hobby that would help me in fatherhood.
During the first winter having the telescope, I took it outside in the parking lot of the apartment complex where we lived many nights and tried my best to find interesting things in the night sky. The moon, the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn. They were hard to find, but on clear nights I'd get a glimpse in the right conditions.
There was a young boy, Jason, who lived two floors up. Jason was 10 years old and was being raised by his mother and step-father. He did not get along with his step-father very well. His step-dad played classical music and pretended to conduct the orchestras as he listened to records with headphones. Jason and I played a lot of baseball, organized some of the other kids in the complex for football, and became friends. I would go to his little league games. Jason would come and enjoy looking with the telescope. If the night was cloudy, we'd find other ways to learn with the telescope, such as looking at tower lights to see moths circling them, or we'd look across the lake we lived on to see the animals that came to the edge for an evening drink. We found ways to have fun even when we couldn't look at the sky. There was no internet, so we did our research at the public library, looking up all sorts of fun things to do with our telescope.
After a year, Jason and his mother moved away. He left to live in another town. I gave him the telescope as a going away present. Josh wouldn't be ready for a long time and Jason was getting good at finding his way around the heavens. I moved from that complex right after Jason left, so we really lost touch.
Eleven years past. I was living in a different place and was divorced with two children. Josh was 12 years old and his sister was 10. There was a knock at my door, and when I opened it, I recognized Jason and his mother standing on my porch. I was amazed that they found me.
Jason had moved to Arkansas and had just graduated from Arkansas State University where he was a scholar-athlete, majoring in astronomy and baseball. He was headed to the University of Arizona to study astrophysics. He came to see me to thank me for getting him started, but also for all the fun we had in the short time we were friends. His mother thanked me, too, saying she knew I'd never known what an influence I'd been for Jason.
I asked Jason about the telescope. He told me it fell apart with all the moving in college, but that he still had the parts. We had a good laugh about that, but we both ended with a moist-eyed, solemn look at each other.
We had a wonderful visit, and although we never saw each other again, I felt pretty proud of my young friend.
We just never know when we're making an influence on people, when others are looking to us as role models. I was just enjoying the telescope with Jason. I never thought about what he was seeing outside the lens.
Now, because of all of you, I have another telescope. What adventures and learning will I have this time? And with whom?
“Only those who look with the eyes of children can lose themselves in the object of their wonder. ” ~Eberhard Arnold
Thank you, everyone, for so many things! I will cherish many memories of joy and successes we shared. We built a wonderful school that is primed to carry on all that's been great, and to continue to change, and to become even better. I look forward to coming back to visit, to see what you have done, to discover where Learning and Leading takes Cooper Upper Elementary School. You will always be in my heart!!
Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free
And soon I will be free
~Christopher Cross, Sailing, 1979
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Our last week together this year includes:
Monday: 1:00 iReady meeting at CO (Terry and Robin)
Tuesday: 11:00 End-of-year-song practice (Gym)
2:00 LEADS meeting at Churchill (Terry)
Wednesday: Sixth Grade Send-Off!
Thursday: Half-Day for students
Staff video in the LMC after students depart (more to come...)
Teacher check out begins!
Friday: Teacher check out day
Monday, June 15: 9:00-4ish, Lighthouse Team training and planning for all who can make it!
Sarah, Pam, Colleen, and I will be working next week. Our last day will be June 19th.
