High school English teachers

One of my favorite things about being an English teacher is that when people find out what I do everyone has a story. It seems that everyone has a favorite English teacher who changed their lives, made them believe in themselves, helped them question their culture, exposed them to the raw, uncensored world, tenderly pushed them to places they didn't want to go, helped uncover the humanity in the humanities, and were a little quirky while doing it.

Just this week I heard about the teacher who called the student to apologize for a class activity that was to hard (while the student telling me the story couldn't help smiling about how the teacher cultivated an argumentative classroom for the 18 year olds) or the teacher who had each student create a tome of English information for the AP test, or the teacher that helped the student want to read.

I know my job doesn't make a lot of money, and I know that it's hard and frustrating sometimes, but it's delightful to be part of a system that people can't help but talk about. I see in these conversations the appreciation students have for their teachers and it helps with the frustrating times and the life of poverty.....

RIGGS!

Did you know that I moved to SLC, or that I got a new job for the fall, or that i'm working on my thesis right now? Anyway, those things are unimportant compared to this picture. I was at my house this weekend and a friend brought over a box and when she opened it out jumped this cat. It was fantastic!

Here is why this picture makes me happy:

I am holding an animal (which looks like it has super powers)

The animal is named Riggs from Friday Night Lights--a show i'm head over heels for.

The picture was taken by one of my favorite people who was visiting over the weekend.

Authenticity more common in movie trailers, while

viral posts achieve:

love- courage- wealth-

dreams.

reading, watching, scrolling and

feeling parched for reports of lives of the ‘living.’

Fantasy begets reality.

Do rivers overflow and winds blow?

Hearts ache?

souls weep?

dreams die?

forgotten amongst the electronic voice of fine dining, parties, smiles, beauty, (mystery)

Kellee's Wedding

My best friend got married this weekend and I could not have been happier. The wedding dinner at Sundance was spectacular and her in-laws have a southern charm that I have never experienced. I was asked to give a toast and as I prepared for it I thought about how Kel and I have been friends for so long and gone through so much. She is so incredible. Her husband is stellar; he's smart and grounded and charitable.

It rained all day during the wedding but stopped for the reception and the garden party in her backyard was phenomenal.

Harold and her are now partying in Bora Bora and then will move to their next adventure in Florida. I will miss them both dearly.

Congrats Hal and Kel!!

photo by Justin Hackworth

She is stunning!

The best compliment of my life happened yesterday. I think Joel McHale, who plays Jeff Winger on "Community," is dreamy and funny. Anyway, a collegue of mine said that he could see Winger and me dating because we would have some witty banter.

Loved it.

Between that and someone telling me that I look like Maggie Gyllenhaal this week makes me think that I may actually get through my research papers, student's grades, and moving out.

The Wedding

While it's fair to say that the royal wedding has probably had too much publicity, I don't really care because I love all things English, and a royal wedding basically encapsulates everything I love.

Unfortunately, just like my Hogwarts acceptance letter, my invite to the royal wedding was lost. But, the good news is I can still see the royal couple.

I have a student from Alberta, Canada and she was telling me about how Will and Kate are touring Canada this summer. They will be kicking off Canada days, and will start in the east and head west. I am almost as obsessed with Canada as I am with London, so you better believe that I am getting plans ready to make my pilgrimage to see the happy couple. Maybe she'll even let me throw her a post-wedding shower. We can only hope.

If you would like to take a trip to Canada with me this summer I promise that you'll have a good time. We can eat Macintosh candy, see the world's largest windmill, hit up markets and museums, and take afternoon tea together.

I can't wait!

Learning How To Think

An insightful article about how to think. Funny, witty, a little crass, and full of profound truth. Thank you David Foster Wallace. Thank you.

David Foster Wallace on Life and Death

Post reading this you may find that Wallace committed suicide. An interesting insight to the article.