My relatives "across the river" are apt to use the Cajun French term "Tout Quelque Chose" which translates into Standard American English as...."A Little of Everything".....And that is in the blog today.
- To My Former Students
Got to thinking last night that perhaps I am expecting too much from today's schools. The world changes and when I was there well, years ago now, we literally " Caught lightning in a bottle."
I had three building principals who let me do whatever I wanted to do, teach whatever I wanted. And I took it and ran with it. Hard..... I was hard on y'all, really hard, and you took it and at first I thought you were not going to make it....If anything, it showed me Buna kids are as bright as the Richie Rich kids in wealthy privileged towns.
No fooling and you may not believe it, toward the end of my tenure at Buna I was spent. Shot. I was grading essay papers on deer stands during deer season. Instead of drinking beer with the boys after duck hunting, I went home and read your essay tests.
Looking back on it, I wonder if I would do it the same way....Yeah, I would.....
Y'all have turned out well. I do not think you understand how proud I am of my " Buna kids." I brag on you every chance I get.
And you didn't all just stay in this area, which is a good thing to me....You need to experience the world. Ex-students are in Hong Kong, Japan, Belgium, Indiana, California, hell, I have a compound of former students in Maine, folks in Canada, Colorado, Utah, Hawaii, Florida etc.....And many of you are spread out all over the state of Texas....
Many of you are starting serious world travel. A bunch of you have gone overseas the past 3 years and that itself makes me proud. I have a couple of students who love England as much as I do.
I am proud of y'all.
- So, what's the deal on Buna ISD?
And often I wonder myself. I'm retired. I need to be planning our next trip with St. Deborah, but instead, it is literally 3:30am and I am writing a blog.
Someone wrote me a literal essay last evening ( a couple 3 people did) telling me, "you are the only person who can say what we are thinking, feeling.".....And this sentence got me. "I am paying higher property taxes here than when I lived in xxxxx.......And I feel like the Buna school just doesn't care." Another other writer said, " I wish I could say something, but I don't want what I say to come back on my kids, and I got X more to get out of that xxx damn place."
So, I get up, early in the morning, talk to Jesus, sit down at the tower computer, and write.....Afterwards, I put on my flak jacket, hit publish and get ready for the blowback.....and again folks, this a ( I'll call it this because most of the time it isn't) a labor of love. I certainly ain't making no money. In a fantasy world, a former student would send me and Deb to Britain for a vacation for writing this, but in reality, this time, I am afraid if we go to Scotland, we'll liquidate everything here, rent a flat in the Caithness and stay.
- Newbies
Welcome. I don't know most of you from Adam. I was the government and economics teacher at Buna High for many years, since retired.
My actual studies are in history and theology. Yes, I am an ordained minister in a church affiliated with the Church of Scotland no one has ever heard of..... But don't let that fool you, personally, I am a little rough around the edges. I often cuss on here, talking about consuming adult beverages, and other questionable things.
I am always interested in your stories, problems, tips and if you write, there is a good possibility I will write on it. All information and especially you will be kept anonymous.
And please, don't attack other people's race, creed, religion in the comments. My daughter in law is Chinese, and we went to Kunming in Yunnan Province for the wedding. Our son lived in China for over 3 years. My wife and I travel as a hobby. We are looking at going back to the UK for a 5th time.
- Muckraker
Someone called me a "muckraker" yesterday.... You're going to have to do better than that. I'll wear that with honor. It'll put me in the same league as Upton Sinclair (The Jungle) and Ida Tarbell.
- Oct. 9th.
Those of you interested in genealogy take note, Ancestry.com will have a DNA update for everyone then. I am curious to see if mine comes back as "Regular White, Pale White, or White Bread White...." And I wonder after I see the results will I be singing from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta HMS Pinafore's : He is an Englishman?" ( Seriously, the last run the Coonass came out and I am wondering if the trend will continue?)
- I'm Tired Boss
I am tired. The blog is wearying. I am going to take a few days, if not a week or more off. Behave. I don't want to come back on Monday and have to write.
Thank you for reading.....
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