Sunday, October 27, 2013

Missing (NOT), Howard Time & Goodbyes

I talked to a former business associate of 25-plus years who later subsequently became more of a friend, and she asked me about my retirement from teaching and whether I missed it.

Well, I can honestly say, "Hmmmm. No, not really."

I mean, I miss the kids somewhat, but  not really because I still talk to them. Plus, I do volunteer stuff within the educational realm. So, no, not really. And, I certainly don't miss very many of the "big people." (And all you teacher-types out there know exactly what I mean.)

But all that got me to thinking, and you know what happens when that happens. Jeepers creepers, it's list making time. So here it is…

Richie's (partial) list of things she doesn't miss…

•Hails Bails, the bells or the music or whatever it is that moves teachers from one time block to the next. It's nice to be what I like to call as "Howard time." As the saying goes… a picture is worth a thousand words…

Howard The Shelter Cat on Howard Time


•Defining my existence and scheduling my life by publications deadlines--underclassmen photos, senior photos, first yearbook sales, first deadline, cover deadline, endsheet deadline, story idea deadlines, first story deadline, revisions due, blah, blah, blah, blah.

•Twenty minute lunches that masquerade as "30 minute duty free lunches." Welcome to my slice of heave: I can eat whenever I want, with whom I want and for how long I want. 

•Being interrupted every second and unable to complete anything. 

•Servers that don't work when it rains or when the wind blows a certain way or when you have this major assignment for the kiddos…

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Oh… I could go on and on and on… but no need to… I probably have a list somewhere of things I never liked about teaching archived on this blog.

But back to my friend, Nancy…She reminded me of one of the things I did miss or do miss in these first few months of Retirement City. It's during this time that you sort of discover what people really were friends and who just masqueraded as such. 

Nancy is not a masquerader. She and I plan on lunch once her picture day taking rush is over. 

And, as far as those other folks? Well, let's just say I'm changing their ringtone to: "Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye…"





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