I have been enthralled with Frank McCourt’s book Teacher Man. As I wrote in my post, The Ed. Blame Game, I often found myself in agreement with him as I thought back on my own teaching career, but the following made me think not of teaching, but of a lesson learned.

Excerpt from his book:

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
And doesn’t know where to find them.
Leave them alone and they will come home
Wagging their tails behind them.

Hey, what’s going on here? That’s not a poem. This is high school and he’s giving us Mother Goose? Is he pulling our leg? Playing little games with us?

I recite the poem again and encourage them to waste no time in digging for the deeper meaning.
Aw, come on. Is this a joke? Man, this is high school.

On the surface the poem or nursery rhyme seems simple, a plain story of a little girl who has lost her sheep, but are you listening? This is significant. She has learned to leave them alone. Bo Peep is cool. She trusts her sheep. She doesn’t go bothering them as they nibble away in pasture, glen, vale and hillside. They need thier grass, their roughage, and the occasional draught of water from a tinkling mountain stream. Also, they have little lambs who nedd time for bonding with their mothers after they’ve frolicked all day with their peers. They don’t need the world barging in and destroying the mood. They migh be sheep, they might be lambs, they might be ewes, the might be rams, but they’re entitled to a little communal happinness before they are transformed into the mutton we devour, the wool we wear.

Aw, God, Mr. McCourt, did you have to end it like that? Why couldn’t you just leave them out there, sheep and lambs, all loving and enjoying themselves? We eat them, we wear them. It’s not right.

There are vegetarians and vegans in the class who thank God right here and now they have nothing to with exploiting these poor animals and could we get back to Bo Peep? They’d like to know if I’m trying to make some kind of point.

No, I’m not trying to make some kind of point except to say I like this poem because of its simple message.

What’s that?

That people should stop bothering people. Little Bo Peep backs off. She could stay up all night, waiting and whimpering by the door, but she knows better. She trust her sheep. She leaves them alone and they come home, and you can imagine the joyful reunion, a lot of merry bleating and frolicking and deep expressions of satisfaction from the rams as they settle in for the night while Bo Peep knits by the fire happy in the knowledge that in her daily rounds, caring for the sheep and their offspring, she has bothered nobody.

For me the poem had a personal meaning and isn’t that what we should find in all poetry? Little Bo Peep is me and my offspring, the sheep. God knows they won’t like being sheep, but then Little Bo Peep isn’t exactly my cup of tea either. The poem tells me, I need to let my kids live their own lives, rejoice in their activities, not expect them to read my posts all the time, and just enjoy their independence. Will they come home wagging their tails behind them? Well, I have a February birthday and they all are traveling many miles to come home and celebrate with me….so YES. Anyway, I am going to sit by my fire, bother nobody, and hug and welcome them back to the old homested. A lesson learned and an insight developed. I would be interested to hear your take on the nursery rhyme. What if anything, does it mean to you?

This is a special thank you to Keri for dedicating her run today to me. I had emailed her the good news that my mammogram had come back normal and that I was so very happy with this news. Her wonderful answer is in her blog called 500 Miles 2 Nowhere so please make a trip over there and read it.

As all survivors know the fear before annual testing is unbelievable. It had been 13 years since I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. More than thirteen mammograms have come back negative, at least 20 blood tests that showed me cancer free and still the worry.

Opening the envelope that held the results of my test, made my hands shake and my breathing shallow. The whoop and holler that followed reading the results was loud and clear. This roller coaster ride of surviving cancer has some great moments and I am celebrating mine.

So thank you Keri for dedicating your run to me and thank you to everyone who cyber-speaking held my hand and gave me assurance. I love you all.

Bob and I were in Bakersfield Monday evening for a Military Officers meeting. As Past President for the organization, he was the guests’ speaker and had the honor of installing the new officers for their Chapter. We spent the night there at a Holiday Inn. The next morning I found this cartoon in the Bakersfield California and it does a great job of summing up the President’s and unfortunately many others view of education in the United States.

On the way home, Bob and I listened to a National Radio Commentator who has a daily morning show. He is extremely conservative in view. His topic was the low test scores of boys in our Public Schools. It seems the girls have not only caught up with the boys, but are now ahead and that there are more young women in our Colleges and Universities than young men.

According to this gentleman, this is all a result of Femin-Nazis. This is a favorite term of his for liberal feminists. Since I believe in equal rights and equal education for both sexes, I fall into this category. The gist of his remarks was that too many of the Femin-Nazis were in teaching. In education today, I believe 80% of elementary teachers are women. Once again, the schools and the teachers are at fault.

To avoid listening to more of this bad-mouthing of American education and realizing Bob was enjoying the broadcast, I picked up a book and began reading. The book was Teacher Man by Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes and‘Tis. Teacher Man is the autobiography of his years in the field of education. In the Prologue McCourt sums up the teaching profession in this way:

In America, doctors, lawyers, generals, actors, television people and politicians are admired and rewarded. Not Teachers. Teaching is the downstairs maid of professions. Teachers are told to use the service door or go around the back. They are congratulated on having ATTO (All That Time Off). They are spoken of patronizingly and patted, retroactively, on their silvery locks. Oh, yes, I had an English teacher, Miss Smith, who really inspired me. I’ll never forget dear old Miss Smith. She used to say that if she reached one child in her forty years of teaching it would make it all worthwhile. She’d die happy. The inspiring English teacher then fades into gray shadows to eke out her days on a penny-pinching pension, dreaming of the one child she might have reached. Dream on, teacher. You will not be celebrated.

After the double whammy of the cartoon and the commentator, McCourt’s words resounded clearly and I wondered to myself, “Would I be a teacher if I had it to do over again?” There were times in my 34- year career that I thought like McCourt’s Miss Smith and I would have answered, “Yes.” Now as time goes by, I no longer think so benevolently, and I thank God for giving my own children the insight and common sense to choose professions where they garner respect and earn decent incomes.

There is nothing worse than a woman on a mission and I attest to being a woman on a mission. I really, really want to go back to Manzanilla and stay at Las Hadas someday. With that thought in mind, I set about on my devious plan to entice Bob to say “yes” to a week at the resort. True, he said an enthusiastic “yes” when we were there, but upon returning home and checking prices, he seemed to back peddle on his promise.

So the plot thickened as I schemed to keep Las Hadas in his mind. To emphasize the beauty of Las Hadas in the most enticing way possible, I ordered the DVD of “10″ starring Bo Derek. It arrived earlier in the week, so I planned a movie evening for unsuspecting Bob.

Movies at home mean hors d’oeuvres, wine, candlelight, and in this case, the most romantic snare possible. So after preparing Teriyaki meatballs, Buffalo wings, fresh vegetables, dip, cheese and crackers, I was nearly ready. I talked Bob into putting on his beautiful new Christmas robe and I put on his favorite nightgown. Then after pouring wine, and lighting the candles, we settled in to watch the video.

There was the beautiful Bo Derek, the comical Dudley Moore, the talented Julie Andrews, and a clever story line that I had more or less forgotten. About a quarter of the way through, we began to see views of Las Hadas from the distance, then the entrance, a beautiful suite (all in white) and finally the bar, dance floor and beach scenes. All of this beauty plus Bo in that beautiful gold swimsuit. Who wouldn’t want to spend time at Las Hadas? Well, probably my husband. He didn’t really voice his “no” and honestly I wouldn’t have cared because we were having so much fun. As everyone know, persuasion and resistance are the best parts of the game.

The next morning, I related the events of the evening to a group of women friends. Two of them had just returned from a cruise to Mexico and Manzanilla had been a port stop. So I suggested that everyone come to the house for tea and relate to Bob, the beauty of Las Hadas.
“Tea, someone said indignantly, “Not tea, but we will come for hor d’oeuvres and wine. Why we might even wear nightgowns!” Well, everyone needs a plan B and how can I but love loyal friends who are willing to come over and help me scheme.

Frankly, I am keeping their offer on the back burner. Meanwhile I am printing out an 8×10 color photo of the resort to place in a prominent spot in Bob’s office. Oh, and did I mention, I have found the music to Ravel’s Bolero and I am practicing in earnest.

As a kid, I loved anything a little spooky or forbidden…..like Ouigi Boards and Fortune Telling. As I matured and realized this was only my spiritual side exploring alternatives to my strict Catholic upbringing, I relaxed and enjoyed the fun of discovery. So when I visited mar at her blog this morning and found What is Your Life Path Number, I immediately had to try it.

Your Life Path Number is 1

Your purpose in life is to lead others. You have great drive and determination. Nothing is going to stand in your way. You seek out challenges and the spotlight. You’ll take all the work - and all the glory. Status and success are important to you. You demand the best from everyone and everything. In love, you tend to take a protective role. You enjoy being the provider in relationships. You expect others to be like you, and as a result, you are often disappointed. A little selfish and vain, you always put yourself first. Remember, everyone already knows you’re great - you don’t need to remind them!

Do I agree with this portrayal of me? I would like to think that I am not quite this self-centered, but honestly? It fits. Go ahead and try it! And now I am off to the gym for a little morning exercise.