Summer Series...Why we do what we do...

Most of the people who read this are teachers. But, even if you are not one I am sure you can search your soul for why you do what you do. If by chance you never get these reminders, then maybe you need to rethink what you are doing. Not to be critical, but this life is way too short to not be doing things you are passionate about.

Back to the reminders...I received one the other day in the form of a private message on Twitter.

I am sure this guy won't mind me sharing because as excited as I was for him, I know he was even more excited. You see, Ty has decided to attend college and play football and invited me to his signing/recognition. I literally got chills when I saw that message and immediately made plans to be there.

Flashback about 12 years when I was his principal at Jack T. Farrar Elementary School. I will admit, Ty and I had our ups and downs and I was hard on him. But, I never gave up on him and he knew that. Oh yeah, I also followed him to middle school too. Same drill...Ty acts goofy, Mick is hard on him. His mom even asked if I was going to follow him to high school. I told her that I think Ty is ready to have school without me.

So, here we were at Ty's high school waiting on the obligatory photos that go with committing to a certain college. I was able to tell Ty I was proud of him...again. And I wasn't the only one. There were other teachers there, his family, coaches and a bunch of his fellow teammates. Ty had garnered a slew of support over the years. The best compliment of the day came from his football coach when he explained to everyone the progression of Ty. He came in struggling but became a leader. He became the type of player a coach wants. No one outworked him, he helped the younger guys and he got his stuff together (grade-wise).

The reason I am telling this story is because it is not about me. The reality, it is about all of us who are in careers where sometimes it seems like endless cycle of disappointment or frustration. We have all been there. It is a reminder like the one I experienced recently that reminds me why I do what I do.

Here is to your journey as well. Look for those stories that help make sense of your crazy world. The stories are there, sometimes you have to be patient.

MS