Sunday Synopsis--Week of April 4--April 10, 2016

I realized that I am not posting as much as I could/would/should, because...well, I don't know why.  I think one big reason is that you just get really busy doing things, and taking care of things, so that sitting down to post about those things is difficult.  But some of those things are also maybe not big enough for a whole post.   But these things are significant to me, and my family, so I am going to make a little blog post about these weeks every so often.

ER-
This week is one of those weeks--busy, but nothing too major.   On Tuesday, after complaining for two days about a pain in my neck/chest/left arm, the pain got pretty bad, and I got talked into going to the ER.  Going to the ER is something I have never done before, and I felt really ridiculous going, but I was starting to think there might be something wrong with me, and I thought about our friend who died very unexpectedly a few weeks ago, and how if there is something wrong with me that I can fix/stop by going to the ER, then I should go.   So, I went, although I did feel badly about it, because I didn't look as bad as the people who were there.

After three hours, and lots of tests (including a blood test, which I really don't like), I was sent home with "Chest pain of unknown etiology."   So, they (the medical personnel at the hospital) don't know.   I spent two days just doing nothing, because they thought it might be a pulled-something, so I decided that if something was pulled, it needed to be rested.   So, I rested.   As of today, I am about 80 percent better.  Sometimes it still hurts, but overall, much better.  But I did do something, and it hurts.   But I guess that is what happens at some points.  Things just start to break down, and then you start to hurt.

Boston Trip--
Yesterday, in the middle of a weird really big snowflake snowstorm, Chris and Anna left to go up to Boston to see what Anna thinks of going to college in that city.  I really don't know where she is heading.  But we want to see what she thinks of going to a school up there.

Teaching Stories-
Last night,  I went to my friend's lecture--I guess you would call it a lecture.  Rick is a friend of mine from Bucknell, and for two years now, he has given a talk to a big group of people at a high school about his experience as a third grade teacher in the West Chester area.    I went last year, and I was in awe.  I have known Rick since 1980 when we were freshmen at Bucknell, and I guess I thought of him as that same 22 year old kid when we graduated.  But he has a ton of amazing friends who went out to listen to him on a cold April night last year.  And the stories he told were transformative.   What he does as a third grade teacher is just awe-some.  And I separated those words to make sure you understand that I am in awe of what he does.

Last night, I drove over an hour to West Chester by myself in the sleet (yes, sleet), to hear him give his lecture again...and I was so inspired.   Rick has been teaching for 21 years, and so he has a generation of stories/updates/and children he has helped.   What he does for our children, and a generation of children now, is so wonderful.   To hear him talk about some of these kids, and to now hear how some of these kids turned out, is both uplifting and heart-wrenching.   I am not sure that any of us fully appreciate what our teachers do for our children. I think it was especially poignant for me because Lily is a third grader now.   And I was sitting there wondering what her story will be.

Anyway, anyone who is interested in donating to Rick's organization, which gives money to help children, should go to teachingstories.org.  Tell him Leslie sent you.  I know about 5 truly good guys, and he is one of them.