Down Meme-ory Lane

CaliforniaTeacherGuy has started a memory lane meme. Nothing like a little reminiscing on a warm summer afternoon. So grab some lemonade and then go on over to read his beginning meme. He's also included a template for your convenience!

• Though I have never given birth my own children, after years of teaching, I think I know quite a bit about parenting. I try to be compassionate to parents who are having a rough time with their kids (especially in teenager form) because I've found that most of them are trying their best and are at their wit's end. (My stints at being an evil stepmother also give me insight, of course.)
• I have always loved reading. I used to get in trouble in Mr. Long's language arts class because I was often reading instead of listening to him.
• I still remember moving to another state in April of my kindergarten year. Some boys stole my show-and-tell, which was a stuffed tiger, and hid it in the boys' bathroom. Ew! Yuck! I still remember who one of the boys was, and he never became a nicer person.
• It astounds me that my best friend's oldest daughter is going to be in 9th grade next year. How did she end up with a teenage daughter? In a few years her children will be grown up!! Of course my best friend is a whole day older than I am...so these things could happen to HER, but certainly not me...
• I was fortunate that my parents were strict. Man, my dad was a hard-ass. And kind of a tighwad, too. I appreciate those things about him, though. And my mother kept us in line helping around the house and yard. My brother and I learned a strong work ethic, and we stayed out of trouble because we weren't allowed to just run wild. I still fear the wrath of my father and try not to disappoint him. It's not that bad, though. My sweetie and I love to spend time with my parents--they're a lot of fun! My dad has turned in to a real teddy bear, but when we were younger he could be a grizzly bear. It worked, though.
• I never really planned what my wedding would be like as some young girls did. When I married the first time, I just kind of winged it--and on a low budget no less. It was nice, I suppose, but hardly a dream wedding. The second time around I opted to just run off and get married at a riverside chapel in Reno. That was more a dream wedding to me!
• I first learned…about teaching when I taught Sunday school and vacation bible school when I was a teenager. Mostly I taught the preschool and kindergarten classes. I must have been a completely different person then because those are the LAST two age levels I ever hope to teach. Yea, they are cute, but after that Christmas pageant stint with what I believed to be cousins to the Herdman family (from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever), I think I lost a little passion for bringing Jesus to the children. And teaching little children.
• I never expected to have the ability to travel when I became a teacher. Or have any kind of luxury. When I graduated, the going rate for teachers in Utah was $18,000. Luckily, I couldn't find a job and ended up moving to Nevada where I made about $6,000 more a year. I don't get to do it too much anymore because my family has different priorities right now, but when I was single, I was always traveling about.
• By the time I graduated from college, I thought I'd have a breakdown if I didn't get a job. It took me several years to put myself through school, and the last few years were financially the worst. (Not to mention I was ready to move on in life!)
• I have received a lot of criticism in my career. Geez, everyone has something to say about teachers. Sometimes it hurts, but I do try to take those outside thoughts to my own inside thoughts. I'm hardly perfect, so sometimes criticism is the stepping stone to self-improvement.
• I found that I have a low tolerance for poor customer service. When I worked in food and retail I always had supervisors who insisted that the customer was right now matter how crazy they might be. It was never an option to be rude or indifferent to a customer no matter how busy we were, how rude they were, or how bad they might smell.
• I had always assumed I wouldn't live to see my 18th birthday. I was a pretty together kid, but I had a hard time imaging life after high school. It was just so out of my realm of knowledge or expectation. Sure, I made plans, but it just didn't seem real. Or perhaps at the time, it seemed too real.
• I’m grateful for the time I spent working at my job at the independent bookstore through my college years. I worked with a bunch of strong, educated women and through them associated with other women like them. It was more than work, though. They were an extended family to me. My experiences there really shaped a lot of who I became, and for that I am extremely grateful.
  

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