Today was the Freshman Community Service Day, and thank HEAVEN it was sunny and dry. . . though very, very cold, especially after it clouded up and got breezy in the afternoon. However, my group was working at the new community gardens in a nursing home complex in Bar Harbor, and there were lots of chores to keep us busy, mostly low skill: painting a fence. Painting the raised beds (really raised--like 4.5'--so that old backs don't need to bend much. Brilliant.). Raking and bagging leaves. Painting a sign. It was the best work site I've been to: there was so. much. work., and it was pretty "safe"--we couldn't hurt ourselves or other people, and we could definitely see the results of our work. It was great, and the kids were great.
Still, the kids were. . .kids! Fourteen and frisky, and there was a considerable amount of managing to do, so I was busy. While we were there, an old woman drove up in her van and veeeeeerrrrrryyyyyyy sloooooooooooooowly made her way into the main building with her walker, and we all sort of watched her on her way, ready to help, but not needing to. She came out just as we were leaving, and I helped her open her van door. She looked at me and said, "Are you the teacher?" and I said I was, and she looked at me, straight in the eyes, and said, "Well, you're a very good teacher! I've been listening to you all day [gulp, I thought] and those are good kids, they are, but they have lots of energy and they need to be directed a little bit. Well, you do a great job of that. You talk to them just right and I can tell you're a great teacher." And then she gave me a big hug and drove away!
That completely made my day!
Now I am trying to read through some Death of a Salesman responses before I completely collapse. Sun+ work+wind+cold+lots of horsing around and talking = sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepiness!
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