From acorns to walnuts...

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; (Romans 12:6-7 ESV)

Left - 2001, right - 2016

Today is the 2nd day of June. As I begin this post, I'm sitting at my desk in my classroom at school at 6am, Never Alone by BarlowGirl blasting from my speakers, contemplating the day ahead... I'm here WAY earlier than I have to be on an in-service day, but my trusty pickup truck is getting a pre-1,000-miles-to-Ft. Wayne check-up, so I caught a ride with my friend and colleague, Karl, who arrives every day-- in-service or any other-- way earlier than he has to.

I'm dedicating this post to Karl, who has been a true friend and confidant over the last few years of my now defunct teaching career. I'll never forget the morning I broke down in his office because we couldn't find my youngest daughter after her wrecked car had been found by the police early one morning (perhaps the longest 10 hours of my life). It seems like a lifetime ago now; a lot of life (and at least two knee replacement surgeries) has happened between then and now. I have been truly blessed to have such a friend and Christian brother to work with...

While we were driving in this morning, I was thinking back over my 15 years as a teacher, starting as the sole English as a Second Language teacher at the sole high school in our district (we've since grown to eight high school campuses). During that time I've taught freshman and junior English, junior and senior AP English, pre-college accelerated English, creative writing, Russian 1-4 + AP, and surveys of Russian history and 19th century Russian authors. I've coached a high school spelling team for academic competition, sponsored a multicultural club, Russian club, literary magazine, Scrabble club, and NOOMA videos Christian club. And for the last three years I've been a high school bowling coach. And I haven't aged a bit! (see picture...okay, maybe just a wee bit...)

If you read my post from yesterday you might remember the acorns metaphor (I used the preposterous and precocious $5 adjective balaniferous...). Any teachers you talk to will inevitably use the word nuts to describe themselves, other teachers, students, administration, the system, etc. In keeping with the nuts motif, I've decided that a teaching career is like a walnut.

(a walnut, you say? hmm. peculiar...)

Yes, a walnut.

Walnuts are good eatin', but it takes determination, drive, and, well, some skill to get into one. The anticipation (or hunger) of what's inside kind of makes it all worth the effort. Such is the cycle of teaching year after year-- new students and a fresh outlook every August, the anticipation of what awaits inside the shell, so to speak. Each shell contains an uncountable number of opportunities to impact a young life. When the year is over...no, when 15 years of teaching high school kids of all shapes, sizes, colors, ethnicity, religions, and ability is over, all that's left are the shards of a broken shell that held the promise of new school years, new faces, and new goals...

The time has come. I'm out of walnuts... At least for the time being.

My wife has assures me that my bowl won't stay empty long. There are (hahahaha) enough nuts to go around in every vocation...

Lastly, you should know that the Greek word for walnut, I've discovered, is καρυδιά (kari-dee-AH), which is interesting because this word is supposedly derived from a word meaning "causing headache" (providing even more walnuts-teaching metaphor fodder.) This cool new vocab word καρυδιά (#34, I think) reminds me that I've still go a few chapters of Greek to go through before beginning my first class (as a walnut, I suppose; however, my professor's going to need one honkin' large-caliber, industrial-size nutcracker).

By this time the day after tomorrow, we should be somewhere in Arkansas. Can't wait!