Grad Speech #3 2024

Rest in Peace.

May 21, 2024

“Rest in peace" is an idiom that expresses the hope that someone's spirit has found peace after death.” Cambridge Dictionary.

Your job. Career, what ever you consider vocation. Occupation.

Today is my birthday. 🥳 I am retired from my job, career, vocation, occupation: Teacher

Retire: To withdraw from danger, retreat. MW. Hey, I like that. I like Re-Treat way better than Re-Tire. Ew, tire. Tired.

Treat v. Tire. I chose Treat.

Teaching kids and learning with them has been a treat. Let me tell you why. In my retreat 😉 I have time to ponder my occupational career choice as discussed with my high school counselor in 1985. Who, discouraging me from a profession of want and destitution, aka, teaching. I did not take his advice. I got this instead.

  • An abundance of memories. Memories of laughing with students. Crying with them too. Singing with them. Dancing with students. A mix bundle of…. life. Real. Joy. Every day. I think of them. Well after their ‘finals’.

  • Dreams. I dream of students all the time. Like our own action movies. Fun.

  • The courage to be afraid to stand up to those who are hurting students. My students.

  • The creativity to invent my own crazy pretend world. I.School, which ironically is more real to me than this facade.

People just don’t know or understand the incredibly powerful relationship, the bond that formed with me and many of my students and many of my classes. I’m sure some others of you, out there can relate! It’s parental. Even now, as I try to explain I.School to anyone, they don’t get it, not really. But my students would. They got me. They understood me. And I listed to them.
One thing missing is selfish of me. I always had students helping me. Organizing stuff. Telling me what and what not to say- lingo. Technology. “You got to do it like this, Newson.” They were and are still my greatest teachers.

And I, most days, did not regret choosing my profession of “want and destitution.” It was a struggle to not have money, that is no lie. I spent my time with kids instead. And now I am retired. Sorry ‘Re treated’ 😀 to a life of not awful memories; restful dream-filled sleep; and a school project that gets me up every morning. A true passion past my prime number. My retirement age. 😉 Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m still crazy and have my own issues. It’s just that I have time to rest. And I am at peace with my crazy.

So, as my gift to you students, on my birthday, cuz make up my own rules-

I wish you rest in peace.