This morning I administered a test.  I hate those things.  Very little I saw on any or all of the standardized tests I took to get a teaching license has come up in conversation or practice since I took them.   To quote the line from the great philosopher Lewis Grizzard, “How many times have you been asked about Rutherford B. Hayes?”  Lewis was on to something.

But I did sit there in the quiet today as kids rued over Calculus and I was glad I was observing instead of taking the tests.

The kids worked hard to answer the questions.  And as I looked around the room, I thought about where these kids will be in thirty years.  And…I could not help but to look back.  I thought about some folks I knew thirty years and more ago and I wondered to myself…where are they now?

He was the other Danny in my class in elementary school.  He was a husky built youngster.  He was always polite.  His clothes were not as new as what the rest of us were wearing.  In earnest, I felt for the guy.  I knew darn well he did not have it as well as I did in the 4th grade.  He had a consistence barrel of a cough that bothered him.  But there we are, in Mrs. Perry’s class picture and the other Danny has a content smile on his face.  It was 1977, one of my favorite years.  One of the kids in the picture had a Jefferson Airplane t-shirt on.  I wonder where the other Danny is today?  I have no idea.  I moved away 2 years later in 1979.  Over the past 37 years I have kept in touch…somewhat regularly… with a few of my old cronies.  I have yet to hear a one of them ask about the other Danny…and I have not asked.  Shame on me.  I wish he were here on the back porch with me.

Her name was Miss Myers.  She was my algebra teacher.  Many of my classmates thought she was a looker.  She was a rookie teacher.  She was attractive, I suppose.  I didn’t notice much.  If I ever did, she took care of it the day she took me out in the hall.  For whatever reason, I have always had the ability to hold court as they say.  It is not for a great deal of effort.  It just sort of turned out that way.  My marks in algebra were up and down.  If I got the content, I would run with it and set the woods on fire.  If I did not get the content, I was probably contentious.  That was probably the case the day Miss Myers took me out in the hall and we had the following exchange.

Miss Myers:  Well it seems you have more influence on some of your classmates than I do.

Me:  Well, maybe.

Miss Myers:  I am trying to teach algebra.  You can’t do that.

Me:  No…no I can’t.

Miss Myers:  What is it going to take to get you and your friends to listen?

Me:  Well, you put (him) in one corner and (him) in another corner and (him) on the other side of the room….and so on.

I was telling her to keep us apart.  If she could do that, we’d all have a better chance of success.

Miss Myers succeeded in putting me in my place like no other teacher ever did.  She was right and I knew it. She was honest and straight with me.  That too was a novel approach on her part.   I also knew she had a tough job and she wanted to do her best.  That is why I was serious in my response.

I have no idea where Miss Myers is today.  She made me feel low by putting the onus on me.  It worked.  And I thank her.

I am sure you have a person out there you wonder what happened to.  I could go on.  One day I will.  But it is getting late and cold on the old back porch.  I am delighted to be here.  I hope you are too.  I had a few folks ask me where I have been with speaking the rights…it has been too long.  Have a great day tomorrow and if you get the chance…

Speak the Rights!

Danny Johnson