the system

"you bet on me like i bet on you." - jerry maguire (1996)

if one of the worst parts of my gig is saying good-bye to the kids i've gotten to know over the years then i suppose one of the best parts of my gig is welcoming back those same kids several years down the road. time to catch up and hear how life has been treating them. like yesterday, for instance. two of my stars from years past dropped by thursday afternoon to shoot the breeze and fill me in on what exactly they've been up to since we last spoke. not surprisingly, both were doing exceedingly well in their respective fields. one had just landed a summer position with the largest accounting firm on the planet. the other was busy with an online business and an information blog with plans to expand on both. i call them "stars" because back in the day, each showed enormous promise in terms of making it big on the outside. and yesterday, when they finally brought me up to speed as to their latest exploits, i must admit that i felt an enormous sense of pride because i had known them when they were still only talking about hitting the big time someday. back in school the girls were extremely motivated and diligent and perseverant. and so news of their recent achievements only served to reaffirm my belief that good things come to those who deserve it. and the most interesting part... the most interesting part is that both of these kids are genuinely nice individuals - despite the fields they are about to enter which sometimes call for toughness and aggressiveness. indeed, both girls have never failed to show respect and appreciation for those who supported them. and the modesty they display in the face of their impressive accomplishments is refreshing to say the least.

as many would attest to, i never miss an opportunity to detail the triumphs of my former charges to an entire classroom of my current charges, as i did once again this afternoon. the reason for doing so? to demonstrate to my current charges that hard work and dedication can occasionally lead to greatness in the long run. and to give my current charges something to aspire to and someone to be inspired by. nothing wrong with that, i reckon.

"that's how you become great, man. hang your ----- out there!" - jesus of copymat in jerry maguire (1996)

p.s. i mention d.w. to the kids all the time.