These were my thoughts today. They came to me clearly, as clear as a afternoon sun on the mountains today as I rode my bike around for work. We've been in a bit of a funk here in Boulder without much sunlight to show us the way. I've been in a serious funk too. A little too motivated, a little directionless, and a head cold. That put me off kilter.
This morning that changed. The fog had lifted in my head, I put some goals down on paper, and I got an email that cleared things up a bit.
Today I found out one of my teachers, Jim Posante, from high school died.
Jim wasn't even my teacher directly as he taught the theater program at Greenhills High School in which I never participated. Nonetheless I learned a lot from him. I got to know him on a school sponsored student alumni trip to Boston. We were heading there to establish relationships with young Alumni in hopes to keep their educational roots in mind as they stepped forward into life.
It was one of those epic trips. A 22 hour train ride to Boston, a fire on the tracks in Schenectady forcing us into vans for the remaining hours to Boston. A long trip out to say the least. Then three days roaming Boston, going to the theater, watching Blue Man Group, long dinners with alumni, and of course some shenanigans. Jim spent a lot of time with us, showing us around Boston with our photo teacher Rob. They took us to the sights other teachers wouldn't dare. Not that they slipped us into racy stripper joints, but they fostered our creative and exploratory sides. They let us have fun and learn too. Now that is the way to teach. Those two elements aren't so homogeneous these days either.
Jim and I would always talk anytime I came back to school. He always asked me about cycling, but not in that joking manner, "You still riding that bike Mike, haha?" He always cared about your passion in life, be it cycling, acting, history, or playing pranks on everyone in school. He always supported your choice and made you even more excited about what you chose.
My parents left Ann Arbor a few years ago, so there is little reason for me to return these days. It serves as a reminder though that you should never forget where you came from and who you met along the way. Losing a teacher and friend is sad, but Jim would always want us to be happy and follow our passions. No matter what.
1 comment:
I have been commenting on
each and everyone that I
can find that have blogs out there..and have wrote
the following.
I making my way to comment on each and everyone who
has touched my uncles
life. I wanted to say Thank you, as I may not know
you personally I do know
that if you were apart of Jim's life you share a
piece of his life as well
as I do. Just remember all that he has taught to
you, and key things that
made a difference in your life and pay it forward.
~ Mary Ann Posante
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