Surprises

This might start to sound like a broken record, but life really is full of surprises. I planned to go to the Colonel By reunion when I saw certain names on the guest list, people that I remembered and was happy to be able to see again. One name in particular was my History teacher, Mr. Caldwell. Mr. Caldwell must have been quite a young man when he was my teacher as he doesn't look a day over, well, a day over old, let's put it that way. He was the sort of teacher who seemed like he enjoyed what he was doing and more importantly, knew what he was talking about. I am sure you remember some teachers who just read from the "Acme Guide of Teaching Material" and never deviate from the assigned protocol of boring information the educational system felt we needed to know. Mr. Caldwell would always put a little spin into things and make the curriculum just a little more interesting so that you could actually remember things for the upcoming tests and exams. If you think back to your school days, whether they be public or high school I am sure that there are names of teachers that will always stick out in your mind. Mr. Caldwell is one of mine, he instilled a love of History in me that continues to this day. Mr. Sorenson from Henry Munroe Public School is another. He also had the patience and kindheartedness that made a difference in someones life, teachers can have a huge influence in a child's life. I hope that Mr. Caldwell understood that I was trying, in my own bumbling way, to say "thank you". So, while I knew that my teacher was going to be at the reunion , I also had the pleasant surprise of meeting fellow students for what seemed the first time. I had probably spoken to some of them 30 odd years ago, but never enough to have their names etched in my memory, after having spoken to them all these years later, I look back at the yearbook photos with a different perspective. As one of the fellows pointed out, "there was a whole other world of people in high school that I never met or even saw, so wrapped up was I in the tech club". We always seem to be drawn to what makes us feel more comfortable or secure, but we have to remember that life is constantly throwing you gems... so make sure that you have your magnifiers on and not your blinders... you just might get a surprise or two.

Till next time... flipping the pages of history...

Cat x