On Top of the World, or Happy Friday!

   Being a teacher is not the easiest thing for one's self-esteem. Most days you come home, avoid the mirror, and try to forget the brutally honest things kids tell you about yourself or ask. You try to increase the depth of your skin each year, hoping that you're have gotten a little older and verbal statements don't get to you. It's not that they are trying to be rude, but more like they are just really good at it and no one has told them to be a little more modest with their gifts. It's not an odd thing to be told you should have done something more meaningful with your life, or that you're balding, or that you look really good for 48, etc. It's also not an odd thing to wonder those same things until you realize that you're only 31 and are doing something very meaningful with your life. However, some days you hear a student say something about you and it erases everything and yesterday was that day.

   I had left the door open after 7th period and the kids where their usual, overly loud selves and out of the roar, I heard two students say:

  "Man, everyone is always is saying good-bye to Mr. Dark..."

  "It's because he's so boss..."

  "Yeah, he is so boss..."

So, that is that. I am sure those same kids had just said I was bald or that that I have a pimple on the right side of my face, but for 1.2 seconds, I was thought to be boss. I'm not even exactly sure what that means, but if its good enough for Springsteen, its good enough for me.

Happy Friday,

    David