Better Man

Helllloooo Darlings...

It's been a while!  Did you miss me?

I have to blog more...and now that I am done with a show (but starting another tomorrow) I will have a bit more time to use this creative outlet more often.

So...

the title...

you getting curious if I am writing about:

a new boyfriend? (or boyfriend in general since it has been more than a quarter century since I had one...)

Nah...

No new men in my life other than that stray kitty we took in (and yes, I am totally in love with him).

Nope...

This is about...coaches and teachers...

Because in the past couple of weeks I have been exposed to some really great ones.

Because I dabble in teaching as a sub...and yes, I have no business teaching math and I apologize to my friends who's children have had to endure my attempts at algebra...I appreciate the excellent teachers my children have had every time I stand up in front of a classroom full of beautiful wide-eyed children expecting me to fill them with knowledge...or at least give them candy if they have behaved on a wild Friday...

You all know of my love and devotion and admiration for my friend GOTT (God of the Theater...husband of GOTTESS and father of GOTTSON)...

He.Is.Amazing.

We just finished doing our 26th show together as director and costumer...

And I have loved each and every one of them...and I love watching him work with the kids/students/actors more and more each time.

This show was "Arsenic and Old Lace" with high schoolers...I was nervous but instead I have found myself just loving the kids as well as the other teachers in the department that GOTT works in at the school...shout out to "John the Music Man" and "Phabulous Phil"!

I love watching GOTT direct...he doesn't just tell and actor what to do...he helps them to figure it out for themselves.

Now THAT is teaching and directing.

And he does it better than anyone I know.

He's an amazing mentor and friend to his students.

Why else would my sweet Miss Cass the Class Act have been with him for 14 shows (and she is just a senior in high school) or my Amazing Amanda want so desperately to learn from him and work with him?

He elevates school productions...and the kids learn so much and will take what they have learned from him beyond the stage.

I remember we had one former student who told us that he ran for class president and then student body president at his high school because GOTT cast him as the second lead in his 8th grade musical.

We have another former student who is studying to be a stage manager in college because GOTT and TTG (Theater Tech God) taught her how to do it in junior high

and more of his former students from his middle school teaching days have gone on to win the local high school acting awards than any other teacher in the city

and have I mentioned that he is NICE?

and that my son would walk away from a group of friends to run over and hug him and GOTTESS and GOTTSON at a school event BECAUSE HE TRULY LOVES HIM?

yeah...when I count my blessings GOTT is definitely one of them

My son was blessed this year to get to be coached in football for the second year in a row by Coach E...I love that man because he gave my son such confidence in his abilities that when asked to play with the Varsity team after his JV season ended my son said "yes" full well knowing that he would never get on the field during the championship game but he was good enough to contribute to the team during practice...even though he was smaller and younger than the other linebackers.

And Coach K...who is also his Honors Chemistry teacher...and don't let the title of "Coach" fool you...yes, back in the dark ages when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was in high school most of the coaches who "taught" only taught the blow-off classes.  This man is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and a true chemist...he just happens to also be able to coach football and wrestling.  Poor Coach K gets my son for about 4 hours a day now...thank goodness they love each other.

And we have my beloved WC...Wrestling Coach...who we have known for 8 years now...his belief in my son is what every mom would hope a coach had in their son.  He blew a gasket when the Varsity Coach nabbed my son to continue playing football by asking him to play varsity (to which my son had no choice because the man will be his coach next year and unless he wanted to polish the bench with his butt all season he had to say "yes").  And I will say that Varsity Coach proved to be a really great guy and great coach...but WC was none to pleased...but he got over it.  My son's response to WC's frustration at his having to be off of wrestling for an additional 2 weeks: "WC THINKS he owns my soul...but he only owns 90% of it"...Thank you my sweet WC for being a man my son thinks so highly of...and loves so much...and I know you love him...

My son loves history and is taking AP World History right now because he had 3 incredible men as his history teachers in middle school.  (He had a great female history teacher too but this blog is about the MEN).  He truly loves them and I can tell you that he considers Precious and Adorable History Teacher, and Bacchus, and Smithy to be not just teachers but friends and mentors and we both feel blessed he had them as teachers (Ke$ha Barbie had two of the 3 and she feels the same).  TCBITW remembers so many things they taught him and I know he loves history because those men made it come alive and made it interesting for him.  Something I never had a history teacher do for me...

TTG not only taught my son some theater tech stuff but he was also my son's church fellowship leader in middle school.  My son enjoys every second he spends in his company and sometimes it would be days later but he would quote me something TTG said or some lesson he learned from him...and he still does...

My son has a great father...

But I am so happy he also has some really great men in his life to teach him...to mentor him...to coach him...to make him laugh...to make him learn...to make him think...

And when I walk into the classroom I try and remember all the great stuff those guys do for my son and give a tiny little bit of it back to the kids I am teaching...

I do the same for the kids I costume...I listen...I counsel...I hug...I hold hands..I laugh...and I have GREAT pride in their work on the stage...

Teachers touch lives...

I am not a teacher but I hope just by how I treat children I can teach them to be better humans...and that is a lesson I have learned from each of those men...

So....

Thank you GOTT

Thank you TTG

Thank you Coach E

Thank you Coach K

Thank you WC

Thank you Varsity Coach

Thank you Precious and Adorable History Teacher

Thank you Bacchus

Thank you Smithy

And even though you haven't taught my son but you do teach me things:

Thank you John the Music Man

Thank you Phabulous Phil

I love you all...sincerely...dearly...

And I hope I am 1/100th as good as you when I am in the classroom (look! I used math!)

Inspiration Song : "Better Man" by Pearl Jam...because I can't find a Better Man than the men I have discussed here today...they are truly without equal...

Bye Darlings...I hope you had a great man teach you something...and if you have kids I hope that they have men as wonderful as these men to teach your kids...