terrible way to begin the day
WARNING: post will contain Wood-love
yesterday i said goodbye to one of the most inspirational, passionate, ingenious and importat people in my life. i don't know when i'll see him again, and it breaks my heart. to think that two years ago, all i wanted to do was get into teacher's college and teach by his side. funny how life changes. if he were anything but 100% supportive of my decision to emigrate, i'm not entirely sure i'd be able to do it, haha.
spending time with David Wood is like being with no one else, for me. we have an unusually symbiotic relationship, one i'm so glad to have helped nurture since we met when i was 16. i have written countless entries in here about what he means to me, and what i've learned from him. (COUNTLESS. believe me, i once had a lazy afternoon and checked. be happy i don't link back.) i knew that saying goodbye to him - for however long - would hurt, and hurt like hell. and hey, guess what? it did.
i walked through Fortino's to get to my school. bumped into M Skene (or Alex, as he'd have me call him.) we talked as he ordered lunch and drove back to the school. he is super excited for me, and what i'm doing with my life. i've never met more supportive-of-your-dreams-teachers than the ones i had in my final years of high school. he said "Not to sound fatherly or anything, but I'm so proud of you. Everything you've achieved and everything you're going to do with your life. It's gonna be amazing." we chatted for awhile, then he gave me his email to send him updates and photos, and then ran off to evaluate French oral exams.
i then went up to the office, they say Wood had gone looking for someone. i presumed Steve (Ellement) so i went to the History office. there, got stuck chatting to Hrysko (love!) for awhile, who was equally excited for me. hard to believe it's been 7 years since her class... she then took me to where Steve was supposed to be. turns out, he was in a classroom with Mr Ball, haha, who i then had to catch up with too! (yeah, my day was pretty much a who's who of my favourite teachers - such fun) finally Steve's not busy and says, "Um, no. I haven't seen him. But he's supposed to buy me lunch." well, bugger it all. i went back to the Humanities office to wait, with some newer teachers (who, suspsiciously, knew a bit about me) who were marking.
about 10mins later, Wood shows up. we walk to Fortino's to get some lunch. right away, it's as if all is right with the world. we speak of my impending departure, his plans for the summer, how his exams went, problem students he's having, how he's going to teach pre-IB next year (i know!), all sorts. i don't think i've forgotten a single thing the man's said over the past 6 years. anyway, eventually go back to the school to find Steve and have lunch with him. again, we speak of: Freud/Jung, musicians, Vivian Ho, my sister, my parents, pre-IB, British food, etc. he says when Val came to visit him about a year ago, she talked on and on about her co-op job then, how much she loved it, but also how intimidated she was. he was impressed by her, but had no idea what engineer-y stuff she spoke of. he said that when she left, everyone was asking what on earth she was going on about, haha, and none of them put together that we're sisters. well, no kidding! they invited me out for a drink next week, and god knows(!) i'd love to go, but it's the same night we're leaving for Ottawa.
we left Steve to his marking (oh, Egyptians) and went to find an empty classroom for him to (ostensibly) start marking himself. he told me about some difficult, sad students of his, in Grade 9. we talked about my becoming a teacher, and what i should prepare myself for. i told him about my crazy American Novel professor and what it feels like to prepare to leave. it was, in a word, wonderful. before i left i gave him a little gift. many years ago, on my first visit to London i went into a tiny second-hand bookshop across the British Museum and bought a very old book of what i thought were 18th Century Poems. no no, after removing the dust-jacket later i saw i'd purchased a book of William Ernest Henley's Essays! serves me right, judging a cover. and hey, Henley... that was even before i started making the Wood/Captain connection. years later, it seemed the only appropriate gift for him. i didn't want to write in it, so i fashioned a sort of attached blank card paper and told him there about how grateful i was for him - even all these years later, still such an influence - and how he had irrevocably changed my life. i always tell the good teachers what i think of them at the end of the year - and he's no exception.
i watched him read it, and it was quite sweet. he then told me that i'd done more for him that he could ever know, and i just smiled weakly. he gave me a big hug, and i told him he would have to visit, to which he said, "Of course I will." then he told me that when he'd received my email this week, he looked over to Alex in the office and said, "Hey, if we ever get invited to a wedding in England - want to go?" which made me grin. of course they'll be there! i found it hard saying goodbye, so he hugged me again and made me promise to email him updates and photos. (because of course the irrepressible bugger isn't on Facebook.) i walked down the hall, waving back all the time, and... that was it. i held myself together till i got home.
i know i'll see him again, but it's the not knowing which sucks. even after leaving Bateman, he was always kind of there, someone i could go to for advice, support, and damned challenging conversation. unlike my parents, he isn't obliged to stay and help, but he always has. he's more important to me than i think i'll ever be able to put down in words, and i feel very thankful that i even met him to begin with.
y'all know i could go on and on and on, but i'd better stop. in about 4hrs, Danilo and Adriana will be arriving. (we'll be picking up Dave from Guelph later on.) they're staying over tonight, and in these two little days, i want to have as much fun with them as possible. more than we've ever had in our life. god knows that these three mean the world to me. i wanted to write down my feelings about Wood before they got muddled up with horrors of saying goodbye to them. it was always going to be a highly emotional week, i suppose.
PS - Germanyyyyyyyyy! mein nationalelf, ihr sind wunderschoen. Oezil you little Turk, i love you. they had better pound the English into the ground!! (otherwise i may as well cancel my flight, haha.) it wasn't a terribly fantastic game for them, but i think it's given them the confidence boost they need. with Klose back i hope they're unbeatable.
yesterday i said goodbye to one of the most inspirational, passionate, ingenious and importat people in my life. i don't know when i'll see him again, and it breaks my heart. to think that two years ago, all i wanted to do was get into teacher's college and teach by his side. funny how life changes. if he were anything but 100% supportive of my decision to emigrate, i'm not entirely sure i'd be able to do it, haha.
spending time with David Wood is like being with no one else, for me. we have an unusually symbiotic relationship, one i'm so glad to have helped nurture since we met when i was 16. i have written countless entries in here about what he means to me, and what i've learned from him. (COUNTLESS. believe me, i once had a lazy afternoon and checked. be happy i don't link back.) i knew that saying goodbye to him - for however long - would hurt, and hurt like hell. and hey, guess what? it did.
i walked through Fortino's to get to my school. bumped into M Skene (or Alex, as he'd have me call him.) we talked as he ordered lunch and drove back to the school. he is super excited for me, and what i'm doing with my life. i've never met more supportive-of-your-dreams-teachers than the ones i had in my final years of high school. he said "Not to sound fatherly or anything, but I'm so proud of you. Everything you've achieved and everything you're going to do with your life. It's gonna be amazing." we chatted for awhile, then he gave me his email to send him updates and photos, and then ran off to evaluate French oral exams.
i then went up to the office, they say Wood had gone looking for someone. i presumed Steve (Ellement) so i went to the History office. there, got stuck chatting to Hrysko (love!) for awhile, who was equally excited for me. hard to believe it's been 7 years since her class... she then took me to where Steve was supposed to be. turns out, he was in a classroom with Mr Ball, haha, who i then had to catch up with too! (yeah, my day was pretty much a who's who of my favourite teachers - such fun) finally Steve's not busy and says, "Um, no. I haven't seen him. But he's supposed to buy me lunch." well, bugger it all. i went back to the Humanities office to wait, with some newer teachers (who, suspsiciously, knew a bit about me) who were marking.
about 10mins later, Wood shows up. we walk to Fortino's to get some lunch. right away, it's as if all is right with the world. we speak of my impending departure, his plans for the summer, how his exams went, problem students he's having, how he's going to teach pre-IB next year (i know!), all sorts. i don't think i've forgotten a single thing the man's said over the past 6 years. anyway, eventually go back to the school to find Steve and have lunch with him. again, we speak of: Freud/Jung, musicians, Vivian Ho, my sister, my parents, pre-IB, British food, etc. he says when Val came to visit him about a year ago, she talked on and on about her co-op job then, how much she loved it, but also how intimidated she was. he was impressed by her, but had no idea what engineer-y stuff she spoke of. he said that when she left, everyone was asking what on earth she was going on about, haha, and none of them put together that we're sisters. well, no kidding! they invited me out for a drink next week, and god knows(!) i'd love to go, but it's the same night we're leaving for Ottawa.
we left Steve to his marking (oh, Egyptians) and went to find an empty classroom for him to (ostensibly) start marking himself. he told me about some difficult, sad students of his, in Grade 9. we talked about my becoming a teacher, and what i should prepare myself for. i told him about my crazy American Novel professor and what it feels like to prepare to leave. it was, in a word, wonderful. before i left i gave him a little gift. many years ago, on my first visit to London i went into a tiny second-hand bookshop across the British Museum and bought a very old book of what i thought were 18th Century Poems. no no, after removing the dust-jacket later i saw i'd purchased a book of William Ernest Henley's Essays! serves me right, judging a cover. and hey, Henley... that was even before i started making the Wood/Captain connection. years later, it seemed the only appropriate gift for him. i didn't want to write in it, so i fashioned a sort of attached blank card paper and told him there about how grateful i was for him - even all these years later, still such an influence - and how he had irrevocably changed my life. i always tell the good teachers what i think of them at the end of the year - and he's no exception.
i watched him read it, and it was quite sweet. he then told me that i'd done more for him that he could ever know, and i just smiled weakly. he gave me a big hug, and i told him he would have to visit, to which he said, "Of course I will." then he told me that when he'd received my email this week, he looked over to Alex in the office and said, "Hey, if we ever get invited to a wedding in England - want to go?" which made me grin. of course they'll be there! i found it hard saying goodbye, so he hugged me again and made me promise to email him updates and photos. (because of course the irrepressible bugger isn't on Facebook.) i walked down the hall, waving back all the time, and... that was it. i held myself together till i got home.
i know i'll see him again, but it's the not knowing which sucks. even after leaving Bateman, he was always kind of there, someone i could go to for advice, support, and damned challenging conversation. unlike my parents, he isn't obliged to stay and help, but he always has. he's more important to me than i think i'll ever be able to put down in words, and i feel very thankful that i even met him to begin with.
y'all know i could go on and on and on, but i'd better stop. in about 4hrs, Danilo and Adriana will be arriving. (we'll be picking up Dave from Guelph later on.) they're staying over tonight, and in these two little days, i want to have as much fun with them as possible. more than we've ever had in our life. god knows that these three mean the world to me. i wanted to write down my feelings about Wood before they got muddled up with horrors of saying goodbye to them. it was always going to be a highly emotional week, i suppose.
PS - Germanyyyyyyyyy! mein nationalelf, ihr sind wunderschoen. Oezil you little Turk, i love you. they had better pound the English into the ground!! (otherwise i may as well cancel my flight, haha.) it wasn't a terribly fantastic game for them, but i think it's given them the confidence boost they need. with Klose back i hope they're unbeatable.