Friday I'm in Love: Back to School

I once had a (beloved) teacher who wrote a good-bye poem for each of her classes; she described each student perfectly with only a few lines. I don't remember her first sentence about me, but the second was, "Questions things others should, but do not."

I remember being incredibly flattered by her assessment; the poem is still in my antique precious things holder chest. Her ability to see beyond the dyed-blonde, carefully curled hair and Guess jeans and her demand that I speak up in class helped me turn into the loudmouth left-wing radical I became for my senior (very Republican) year and beyond. Way beyond.

I know I never thanked her enough for that.

Although seeing me jump into a political debate in front of half the senior class may have been all the thanks she ever needed.

Anyway, today my kids go back to school and I hope more than anything that they have a Miss Jordan. Not that they need to be turned any more left-wing or loudmouth (they've all got that covered, thanks very much), but I hope their teachers really know them. I hope their teachers really understand them. I hope their teachers find a way to inspire them. I hope their teachers are half as awesome as Miss Jordan was.

Last year.