I Changed His Name

Tuesday, Mar. 25, 2008 - 12:00 a.m.

Several weeks ago, I saw the names of my second grade elementary teacher and his wife mentioned in the online version of my old hometown newspaper.

I'm not sure why I still think of it as my hometown, because I've lived somewhere else for most of the nearly forty-three years of my life. But the first nineteen years were there, and when I turned seven and entered second grade, I fell in love with my teacher that year, Mr. Furston Last -- and I don't think I ever stopped.

Mr. Last was the most fascinating instructor I had until I reached my senior year of high school. He taught us the required material, and then he basically turned us loose, creatively. He almost always let us do whatever we asked to do, as long as nothing broke or caught fire. Once, when I brought a book about the stars in to share, he cleared an entire wall of the corkboard, and we put up black paper and drew constellations and filled them in with Good Behavior stars.

I'd seen him mentioned, and figured he still lived where he'd lived the last time we'd visited, which was about twenty years ago. I'd seen him once before that, too, when he came to visit me in the hospital after my operation, back in 1983.

Anyway, upon seeing the Lasts mentioned in the paper, I sent him something that only a very few people have received from me since the turn of the Millenium -- a handwritten note.

He CALLED me today to thank me for the note -- and I knew the sound of his voice.

In the space of about fifteen minutes, we were caught up enough and comfy enough for him to lightly scold me for my political p.o.v., and for me to tell him that the gifts he gave me are things that I use every day.

We just had a wonderful visit.

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In other news... liar, liar, no sniper fire!

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Eesh. Remember what I predicted about a year ago regarding the lawsuits that were likely to occur in the wake of what happened at Virginia Tech?

Here. Have a gander. This is as of yesterday.

Once an era or so, I don't like being right about something. See above.

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Okay, there. Have a good Tuesday.

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