September 22, 2017 GONE TOO SOON

Sad week.  Lost one of my ALL TIME favorite students. Teachers always say they don't have favorites-- I generally try not to--BUT-- there was just SOMETHING about him. He was KIND --a sweet, sensitive soul with a GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR. When he laughed, his whole body joined the action. And a smile that could MELT an iceberg. Did I mention CHARM--he could cast a spell on you with a side glance quicker than a blink. Like I said--THERE WAS JUST SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT HIM. I was lucky enough to be his teacher three different years beginning in fifth grade. We forged a great teacher--student relationship that  I'll always cherish.  That is one of the benefits of teaching--really getting to know kids and appreciating all that they have to offer. I'm really lucky-- the bonds I've forged with many of my students last a lifetime.  Many of them feel like  part of my family--they are so dear to my heart. That's why it's so devastating to lose one. It's like losing a family member. I'm thankful though that I ran into him a couple of months ago.  It had been a few years. He still had--that ANGELIC face--irresistible SMILE--WIT and CHARM--NOT surprised.  We laughed and talked about the old days for a bit--I wished him luck at school--went about my business--thankful for the chance encounter. Life is fragile.  We have to appreciate the time we have and spend it wisely.

In his memory, I'm going to review a book about baseball--his favorite sport. The Natural by Bernard Malamud is a wonderful story about America's favorite pastime. Roy Hobbs is a nineteen year old baseball prodigy. As the story opens, Hobbs is on his way to Chicago with his manager for a try out with the Chicago Cubs. While on the train, Hobbs meets several people including a beautiful woman named Harriet Bird. After arriving in Chicago, he settles into his hotel room and gets a call from Harriet. She invites him to her room and then proceeds to shoot him in the stomach before turning the gun on herself.  After this tragic event, Hobbs disappears for fifteen years before returning to try to make a comeback. He joins the New York Knights  and uses his "Wonderbat" to try to help the Knights win the pennant.  Will he succeed and finally make a name for himself? Find out when you read this wonderful novel. This book was made into a movie several years ago starring Robert Redford. I absolutely LOVED the movie but want you to know it is very different from the book---especially the ending. So do yourself a favor-- read the book AND then enjoy this wonderful movie with a bucket of popcorn. It's only about 220 pages--a 3.5 mile run--that's as American as apple pie. I hope they have baseball in heaven. RIP.