Fatherly Wisdom

 A very long time ago, I told my father about how after just a year working at a book warehouse I had been made manager, and not long after that I was elected to this employee-owned company's board of directors. His reaction was to tell me that he wasn't sure if that said more about the company or me. This was my father, after all, whose reaction to most any complaint about the food in front of us was "It's all gonna be poop in four hours anyway." My dad didn't mince many of his words. A very loving and funny man who periodically headed straight for the guard rail in order to get his car back on track. 

Metaphorically speaking. 

It was this warts and all outlook that caught me while I was being made aware of the fact that a co-worker had submitted a lovely tribute to me and my work ethic to our district's Staff Shout Outs. "David has been a teacher here at Horace Mann for the past 25 years! He is the epitome of 'going above and beyond' his job. David is the first to arrive in the morning and greets every single student who walks through our gates. He works tirelessly to ensure that all of our staff, students and families feel safe and welcomed. He is currently our Computer and PE Prep teacher, but he does so much more and NEVER misses a day of work unless it is a true emergency. We're so grateful for him!" I repeat this here at the risk of feeling that I am honking my own horn, but since I am not an itinerant own-horn-honker, I can tell you that while being quite flattered, my immediate reaction was to think of my father's appraisal: "Who d'ya suppose they got to write that?" He might have joshed. 

Not that there was anything within that accolade that I would argue with, I am simply not used to having the light shine so brightly on me or my accomplishments. The fact that my attendance was one of the things this person chose to laud me for suggests that I am very good at showing up. Every day. Unless there's a true emergency. A short list of some of the true emergencies that have interfered with my perfect attendance include jury duty, kidney stones, and a dying and then dead mother. Besides, taking a day off sometimes messes with my ability to remember all the students' names. 

And if I'm there to meet them at the gate, they can remember me, right dad?