New story

Due to popular demand -- okay, one person expressed interest, but I'm counting that -- I have a new, "This would only happen to me," story.


Last Thursday evening I had plans with some Huntsville friends. As my HSV class didn't get out until 2:45, I figured it made no sense to come back to Decatur just to turn around and go back to HSV. Hence, I had some time to kill. As I am wont to do, I headed to a bookstore/coffee shop.


Just as I got my coffee and settled down to do the crossword puzzle, though, I noticed 3 of my students at a table in the cafe area. Strange as it may be, they actually were studying for my class! After a little while, I got to feeling bad for them and went over and asked if they needed any help or had any questions. I figured it was an opportunity for some "free tutoring", but they said they were fine. Well I figured maybe they just didn't have any questions at the ready, so I told them I was going to browse the bookstore for a while and I'd stop back by before I left. That way, I thought, they'll have some time to come up with questions.

After about half an hour, I did stop back by their table. When I again asked if they had any questions, they again assured me they were good, BUT, they said, there were two women looking for me out in the bookstore! I think the most intelligent response I could manage was something like, "Huh?" Then they explained.


Evidently two women were just leaving the cafe when they noticed these kids studying economics. For some reason, this interested the women. Then when the women found out I was there teacher, well they got really excited -- at least according to my students. Again I responded with an eloquent, "Wha?"


My students didn't know why, but these women were now looking for me out in the bookstore. The best I could get out of them is that these women had kids taking econ and stats and they REALLY wanted to talk to me personally. Now that's something every teacher lives for -- an encounter with parents out in public! When I found this out, I asked my students, "So since they are out there (pointed toward the bookstore), I should go out there (point toward parking lot)?" My students couldn't say about that, but one of them did volunteer that one of the women seemed sort of pushy. Great!


Needless to say, I hoofed it out the door. I told the students they could give my email address to the women if they came back, but I was headed out. Before I could get to my car, though, I heard a woman calling from the direction of the bookstore. When I turned around, she was scurrying across the lot toward me. I figured I had no choice but to see just what she wanted.


It turned out to be a good thing. She was the mother of a girl that was in my class about a year ago and she just wanted to tell me how much her daughter enjoyed my classes. Further, she said, she wanted to thank me for taking such good care of and being an inspiration (really, she used that word) to her daughter. In fact, the daughter is now back in school (after some health issues) and she'll be in my stats class in the fall. Plus, she has sang my praises highly enough that her brother is also taking classes from me.


Now this student was a good student and she did interact more than typical. In fact, she often sent me quirky emails about economic issues that weren't really "on topic" in terms of what we were doing in class. I was always willing (even happy) to talk with her about such things and she did send me an email after she finished my classes telling me how she had been dreading her econ classes, but they turned out to be very interesting, etc. I did not, though, realize that I'd made a "tell Momma" impression on her.


In all honesty it made me feel good about what I do for a living, but it was a tad creepy. The mom even sent me an email the next day saying she hoped she wasn't too "forward", but she just couldn't pass up the opportunity to thank me -- and ask me to watch out for the little brother as well. So in the end it all turned out to be a positive experience, but the thought of moms looking for me to talk about their children still sends a cold shiver to the core of my soul.