Begin Again

In my long career as a teacher, thousands of students passed through my classroom. For a while–sometimes a semester, sometimes a few years–I got to see them almost every day, got to watch them make their way through the giddy, grueling, crazy maze of adolescence, got to listen to their hopes and heartaches, got to read their essays, got to know them as students of English and of life. It was, from start to finish, an absolute joy. From those who recoiled at the very thought of reading a poem to those who approached every assignment as a gift, they all ALL inspired and energized me. And then they moved on. But some will always remain in the front row of my head and heart. Some have continued to inspire and energize me as they graduated into adulthood, entered relationships, started careers–Ehow Hawk Chen, Ashley Karitis, Emily Comerford, Patrick Carroll, Kelsey McClure, Whitney Swander, Alex Day, Juliet (JT) Mylan, Patty Garcia, and so many more (my front row is crowded!). I love these ...

A lot of New Zealand is beaches: stunning cliff-hugging beaches, long sandy beaches, beaches with harbors, beaches with surfers. It’s an island, after all. So, Catherine and I (and Jim, when his travels intersected with ours) spent a lot of time communing with Neptune–walking along, wading in, watching the vast vast expanse. In lovely Russell, we even spent a day sailing with a small group–a first for me–in the Bay of Islands. It was exhilarating and wonderful. I saw dolphins. I burned my feet. But some of the most memorable experiences I had in New Zealand were about as far from the sea as it’s possible to get on the North Island (81 miles), in Taupō at the Jensens’ beautiful, peaceful home. Kathy and Ian (Spike) Jensen have been friends of Catherine and Jim for over 20 years, and they welcomed me as though I were part of the family. The 17-acre property (about 7 hectares) where the Jensens built their home is tucked up into the hilly pastures just outside the metropolitan center of T...