SCHOOL TEACHERS: POST #54

I haven't written much the last couple of weeks. There are a couple of reasons why. I got my Flu shot some time ago and thought that I would not have any problems this winter with the flu, a cold, or any such thing. I was WRONG! I have had a terrible sinus infection and felt rotten. Also, I tend to forget things more and more these days. Some days I can't seem to remember my name. And, then some days I can't seem to remember my name. But, maybe I can get back on track for at least a few days.

When I lived at Herman Junction we went to school at Bay. As I reflect upon my school days I am made to remember some really good times and good people. I especially remember some fine teachers. I never had any idea how much they would mean to my life later on and if I could have had my way I would have just stayed at home and passed school up. I have mentioned before Miss Una Pounds who taught everyone from the days of Noah on down in the first class of their schooling. What a kind and gentle soul she was. I moved on up in grades through the years and I remember Miss Helen Reed who later married Claude Montgomery who chewed the calf's ear nearly off. I recall Mrs. Holmes, Mrs. Montgomery in the Fourth Grade and J. P. Taylor who was my teacher in the Sixth grade. J. P. had a little nephew or somebody who called him P. Joe and so I will never forget him. He later married Miss Jennie Sue Cooper, another one of the teachers. As I moved into Junior High and then Senior High I had a lot of teachers but one stands out in my mind. I listed her as my favorite teacher when I was a Senior. She was Mrs. Gatewood and she taught bookkeeping and I loved it. One of the highlights of my schooling as far as grades were concerned was when she gave me an A+ and wrote on my report card, "Outstanding" and I really liked that. I liked working with numbers and still do. Maybe that is why when someone counts the attendance at church I always come up with about 40 more than they counted because I was good with numbers you see. I also like Miss Carol Burns who taught English. I wish that I had studied more diligently in English class but I think that I studied the teacher more than the English. She was pretty and very much a lady. In my senior year she really encouraged My Lady to marry me one day and told her that she would make a great preachers wife. How did she know that I might be a preacher? Boy, nobody else seemed to think that.

Probably the most influential man in the school to me was Arthur Cooper, the Principal of the High School. Maybe that was because we spent so much of our time together in the sweat room. Although I incurred his wrath a lot of times, I respected him so very much. Many years later when I went back to Bay to preach, Mr. Cooper was there and was very gracious and kind in his comments about the sermon. He was another one who seemed to know that My Lady and I would get married and surprisingly he encouraged her in that union as well.

Good teachers have such great power in molding the lives of young people. Today they have a lot of duties that takes time from their teaching and that is sad. I know several teachers today who are just waiting for the day when they can retire because teaching school 'ain't what it used to be.'

My hat is off to you, teacher friend, and may you have no students like I was!