WEBVTT - DELILAH: Back to School with Beloved Educators 0:00:05.920 --> 0:00:12.320 Hi there, Welcome. Welcome to Love Someone with De La La, 0:00:12.480 --> 0:00:16.680 my podcast where I get to talk about things that 0:00:16.920 --> 0:00:18.759 I love. I mean, I talk about things that I 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:21.840 love on my radio show, but my radio show, I 0:00:21.880 --> 0:00:26.600 try to keep it focused on my listener, So the 0:00:26.640 --> 0:00:29.960 most of the content that you'll hear on my show 0:00:30.000 --> 0:00:35.080 at night is me asking questions and then my listeners 0:00:35.320 --> 0:00:39.960 telling their stories. But with this podcast, I get to 0:00:40.080 --> 0:00:45.080 explore topics and talk about things that I am passionate about. 0:00:45.760 --> 0:00:49.080 And the thing that I am most passionate about in 0:00:49.120 --> 0:00:55.520 the world is encouraging people to use the gifts, the talents, 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:59.760 the skills, the resources that God has put in them. 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:05.039 Then we go through life experiences that stretch us, that 0:01:05.160 --> 0:01:10.600 challenge us, that help us to become more empathetic, more understanding, 0:01:11.120 --> 0:01:14.680 more patient. And when you take all those things and 0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:19.560 put them together and then use that to change the 0:01:19.560 --> 0:01:24.000 world for good, that is the best thing in the 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:28.119 whole world. And I think some of the people who 0:01:28.160 --> 0:01:31.560 do that best, or at least do it most consistently, 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:39.120 are teachers, educators, teachers, principles administrators, the cook in the 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:43.520 kitchen at the cafeteria, the crossing guard, the bus driver 0:01:43.720 --> 0:01:48.640 who is patient and doesn't lose their mind when kids 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:54.960 are standing up and throwing spitballs. The people that work 0:01:55.200 --> 0:01:58.480 to help children to be the very best that they 0:01:58.520 --> 0:02:03.760 can be, to develop a love passion for learning, so 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:07.360 that you're a lifelong learner, so you don't stop studying, 0:02:07.840 --> 0:02:12.040 so you delve into things, You ask questions, you're excited 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:17.079 about learning about nature and seeing wildlife or wild berries 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:21.600 or wild birds. Teachers that put that joy in a 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:29.160 young person's heart to learn, to grow, to develop, Those 0:02:29.160 --> 0:02:33.880 are some of the most underappreciated people in our midst 0:02:34.040 --> 0:02:39.240 and so this podcast is all about teachers and educators 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:45.079 and the support staff. This podcast is going to focus 0:02:45.600 --> 0:02:51.440 on the unsung heroes of our life. Before we talk 0:02:51.560 --> 0:02:54.520 to our first person, we want to salute and honor 0:02:54.560 --> 0:02:57.080 in this podcast. We're going to take a moment to 0:02:57.080 --> 0:02:59.760 say thank you to our sponsors, the people who make 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:05.400 this podcast a possibility. It feels like summer, It still 0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:09.359 looks like summer, but that beautiful green lawn you have 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:13.320 now doesn't stay that way unless you treat it well. 0:03:13.680 --> 0:03:17.680 With the Home Depot's wide selection of fall lawn care products, 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:22.000 change your grass for the better and for the cold months. 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:26.760 Ahead with products from Scots the Home Depot's garden department. 0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:29.880 My favorite part of the store is where you will 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:33.679 find the right stuff and some very helpful people too. 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:38.880 The Home Depot More saving, more doing. And so in 0:03:38.920 --> 0:03:43.600 this podcast, we are going to talk with people who 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:47.920 are teachers and talk about teachers and educators and just 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:52.400 honor them for the heroic work that they do with 0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:56.160 very little applause, and yet they do it. They show up. 0:03:56.200 --> 0:04:00.320 They don't just show up. Good teachers in current Bridge 0:04:01.680 --> 0:04:08.320 and they help and they care. They care about their students, 0:04:08.400 --> 0:04:11.600 They care about what's going on in their lives. When 0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:18.040 a child is sick or hurting, they care. And I 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:20.279 have a lot of kids and a lot of them 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:25.440 have special needs, and my kids have had some phenomenal teachers. 0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:27.760 In fact, going to try to get in touch with 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:32.240 one and include him in this podcast because he has 0:04:32.279 --> 0:04:36.600 had a profound impact on three of my children who 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:41.080 have had him in school. Him, mister Allan, Hey, how 0:04:41.120 --> 0:04:42.359 are you I'm good? 0:04:42.400 --> 0:04:44.320 How are you I'm great? 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:46.599 Have you got like five minutes to talk to me? 0:04:46.920 --> 0:04:52.200 Maybe ten? About teaching? Yeah, So, since it's back to 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:58.360 school time, our podcast this week is focusing on educators, teachers, principles, 0:04:58.960 --> 0:05:01.760 people who make a differen in the life of kids. 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:04.719 And I said, you know, there is somebody that I 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:07.320 didn't have as a teacher, but that my kids had 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:11.080 as a teacher, who had a profound impact on their life. 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:13.880 And so I wanted to call you and talk to 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:19.360 you about teaching, about how you keep doing it when 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:22.279 you get beat up so bad and yet you just 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:27.080 keep giving. It's like the giving degree. Yeah. So you've 0:05:27.120 --> 0:05:31.880 been teaching, mister Allen choir music for how many years? 0:05:32.120 --> 0:05:33.680 I'm starting my thirty first year. 0:05:34.279 --> 0:05:36.600 Always music, always music. 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:38.800 Yep. My first my first job was a K twelve 0:05:39.480 --> 0:05:42.320 music teacher. So I taught K six general music and 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:44.400 then I had seven through twelve choir. 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:50.280 Thirty one years. Yeah, and I know that the road 0:05:50.279 --> 0:05:54.680 has not always been well paved, not always, no, not always, 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:57.880 some rough times, some bumps. 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:01.720 Yeah, there have been definitely have been some bumps. But 0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:04.840 I'd say I would say the vast majority of my 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:09.640 days are pretty darn good, and I look forward to 0:06:09.680 --> 0:06:11.760 getting to work every day. I don't think I've had 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:16.000 many days in my thirty years of teaching where I 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:18.240 was like, oh man, I'd rather be doing something else. 0:06:18.440 --> 0:06:22.200 I can't. I probably can't count that number on on 0:06:22.200 --> 0:06:24.400 one hand. It wouldn't get beyond one hand there for sure. 0:06:25.160 --> 0:06:28.040 I think sometimes, you know, we're kind of given that 0:06:28.920 --> 0:06:30.839 gift that we get to do what we love to 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:33.480 do every day. And I don't think most people have that, 0:06:33.520 --> 0:06:36.000 but I think some people do. And that's the people 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:38.800 that just kind of stick with it forever. I've thought 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:40.200 at one point, you know, like what would I do. 0:06:40.240 --> 0:06:43.480 I've had that conversation with my wife too, but I 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:45.960 don't know that I can come up with anything else. 0:06:46.160 --> 0:06:48.840 And what a great gift that is. How old were 0:06:48.880 --> 0:06:54.200 you when you knew that a music was going to 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:57.839 be your thing and b that you had a gift 0:06:58.120 --> 0:07:00.520 for teaching young people? 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:04.240 Oh? Man, I mean I knew music. I wanted to 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:08.200 do music from a pretty young age. I'd say maybe 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:10.320 middle school. I started to really think about, you know, 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:12.080 kind of career, like what would I want to do 0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:13.840 with my life? And at that point it was really, 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:15.520 you know, I wanted to be a rock star. I 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:18.840 wanted to be a performer, you know, And I did 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:20.600 that a little bit as far as like playing you know, 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:24.680 garage bands and stuff. And I had two music teachers 0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:28.760 in high school that really kind of changed the course 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:33.760 of my life. Mister Ogrin was my first high school 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:36.960 music teacher choir director, and then he left and Dean 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:41.560 Sands was my next, and they both just influenced me 0:07:41.600 --> 0:07:44.480 in such a positive way, just encouraging me as a 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:47.560 musician but also as a person like I just, yeah, 0:07:47.600 --> 0:07:49.680 they just really encouraged me as a human being. And 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:52.000 when I saw what they did and how much passion 0:07:52.040 --> 0:07:53.880 they had and how much joy they had, I just thought, 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:56.040 this is my thing. I just want to do this 0:07:56.640 --> 0:07:57.720 for the rest of my life. 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:01.040 And how lucky are you? How blood so you that 0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:04.120 the beautiful young woman that you took for a bride 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:07.000 when you guys were kids. Your picture you look like 0:08:07.040 --> 0:08:10.760 you were maybe fifteen. I know you weren't, but that 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:11.960 she supports that. 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:16.360 Yeah, she and my parents and my kids, my own 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:19.960 personal kids, you know, have been huge supporters. My parents, 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:22.920 I'm up until my dad got kind of sick and 0:08:23.000 --> 0:08:25.480 ended up passing away, But they would drive up from 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:28.560 Oregon to come to my concerts that I was directing, 0:08:29.880 --> 0:08:32.440 even up here, so they'd drive up and see my concerts. 0:08:32.480 --> 0:08:35.280 And my wife is at everything, and my kids went 0:08:35.320 --> 0:08:37.840 through my program and still come back to Madrigal feast 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:40.600 and stuff. So yeah, I've been super blessed to have 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:41.880 a support system like that. 0:08:42.200 --> 0:08:44.920 For sure, you're not just a teacher, and I know 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:49.720 you know that. You don't just teach music. You teach 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:55.480 life lessons. You teach teamwork, you teach accountability, you teach 0:08:56.440 --> 0:09:00.480 being there for one another, you teach acceptance, you teach 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:04.959 so much goodness while you're teaching the notes. 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:09.560 I think that's one of the things that music really does, 0:09:09.679 --> 0:09:12.880 is it teaches us about life and and about how 0:09:12.920 --> 0:09:15.560 to be you know, how to love, and how to 0:09:15.600 --> 0:09:18.839 be passionate, and how to be accepting of lots of 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:21.120 different things because we do lots of different genres of music. 0:09:21.200 --> 0:09:23.120 So that's an easy way to just talk about how 0:09:23.760 --> 0:09:30.280 everybody has value and importance and you know, the least 0:09:30.320 --> 0:09:32.640 talented person to the most talented person, we make up 0:09:32.640 --> 0:09:36.160 that a chemistry that comes from that makes up what 0:09:36.360 --> 0:09:41.400 are awesome and amazing you know, groups of people. So yeah, 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:43.520 it's it's hard. It's almost hard to put into words 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:48.640 how important education is in that sense that that we 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:51.400 have a chance to teach people. Curriculum to me is 0:09:52.160 --> 0:09:55.400 secondary to teaching kids just I don't know, I don't 0:09:55.400 --> 0:09:56.520 know as does that make sense? 0:09:56.679 --> 0:09:59.760 It makes perfect sense. And and you do both very 0:09:59.840 --> 0:10:03.600 very very well. I mean, you teach the curriculum very well. 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:06.199 I got to stand in the audience and enjoy how 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:10.920 many dozens of concerts that my kids participated in, and 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:13.520 the notes that they would hit, and the madrigal feast 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:16.000 and the productions they would put together in the Broadway 0:10:16.080 --> 0:10:18.480 show that you turn over to the kids and say, Okay, 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:19.760 you want to do this, you want to put on 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:22.520 Broadway show, You're going to do it. And they did it. Yeah, 0:10:22.559 --> 0:10:27.480 costuming and choreography, it's amazing, it is. 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:29.840 It really is breathtaking to watch. 0:10:29.600 --> 0:10:33.520 And the creativity these kids have on a shoestring budget. 0:10:34.080 --> 0:10:38.080 You know, they go to the Goodwill or Salvation Army 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:40.560 or whatever and they come back with these costumes that 0:10:40.600 --> 0:10:43.120 are just amazing. 0:10:44.200 --> 0:10:46.800 Yeah, I think one of the cool things about again 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:49.520 about music, and I'm sure it's another you know, in 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:52.880 other academic areas too, But for me to be able to, 0:10:53.000 --> 0:10:55.160 like you said, cut the kids loose, you know, teach 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:57.520 them and give them tools and then be able to 0:10:57.559 --> 0:11:00.200 see them just take off and just you know, make 0:11:00.240 --> 0:11:03.800 it happen, and it is amazing to watch. I'm in 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:06.559 the audience too for Broadway show, and I just am 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:10.360 every year teared up and excited about just what they're 0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:11.960 pulling off is just amazing. 0:11:12.600 --> 0:11:16.280 I love Madrigal Feast. I didn't get to go. I 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:18.560 don't think i've been the last two years. But if 0:11:18.600 --> 0:11:20.760 you do it this year, I'll be there. And I 0:11:20.800 --> 0:11:23.839 haven't missed a Broadway show in years. They're so good, 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:29.120 so good. Well, I appreciate you. I appreciate what you 0:11:29.240 --> 0:11:31.480 mean to my daughter, what you meant to my son, 0:11:31.920 --> 0:11:35.319 what you meant to Bridget. I just I love your heart. 0:11:35.840 --> 0:11:40.320 I love your willingness to serve. I love that you coach. 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:45.959 I love that you sacrifice your holidays and your summers 0:11:46.520 --> 0:11:49.640 and you're days off to pour into kids' lives. And 0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:54.480 like throwing a stone in a still pond, the ripples 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:58.600 of your life have intersected with so many of us. 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:01.440 I hope, so, I mean, I hope that when you know, 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:02.720 when all of a sudden done, you know, they talk 0:12:02.760 --> 0:12:05.840 about leaving a legacy, and I just hope that you know, 0:12:06.000 --> 0:12:07.679 a lot of times, as I look at this thing 0:12:07.720 --> 0:12:12.120 and performances and the trophies are awesome, but I just 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:13.520 want to look I want to look back on it 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:16.800 and have kids say that they grew and they they 0:12:16.880 --> 0:12:19.080 learned and all that, but also that they, you know, 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:22.560 just have a passion for life. Whether it's music or 0:12:22.600 --> 0:12:24.680 it's you know, theater, or it's you know, working as 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:26.440 an engineer or being a parent, whatever it is, that 0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:28.720 they just have a passion for life and that you know, 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:30.680 what we did in the choral program kind of helped that. 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:34.199 Well. I want to thank you, all right. 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:36.160 Thank you so much, and I appreciate you as well. 0:12:36.200 --> 0:12:39.640 And you know your kids were you know, they leave 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:42.480 an impact on me too. I've had thousands of kids 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:44.280 go through the program and they all leave an impact. 0:12:45.160 --> 0:12:49.199 Mister Allen was such a huge inspiration to my kids, 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:52.559 and I'm so glad he was available to chat. Next, 0:12:52.640 --> 0:12:54.520 I'm going to read a letter sent to me by 0:12:54.520 --> 0:12:58.360 a young man named Travis. Travis is already discovered at 0:12:58.400 --> 0:13:01.920 the tender young age of six, something that took me 0:13:02.040 --> 0:13:07.000 many many more years to comprehend. I received an amazing 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:10.800 letter from a young adult named Travis, and it touched 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:12.880 my heart. So I wanted to share it with you. 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:16.920 Travis writes, I dropped out of high school going against 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:19.000 all I knew was right, and I regret it to 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:21.920 this day. I told my teachers I would get a GED, 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:25.720 but I never went and signed up. Well about a 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:28.079 week ago, one of my teachers called me and told 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:30.600 me to get ready because I was starting my GED 0:13:30.760 --> 0:13:34.640 classes on Monday. Never in a million years would I 0:13:34.640 --> 0:13:37.640 have expected a teacher to do that for me, after 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:40.960 all the trouble I had caused them at school, and 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:43.880 come to find out, all of my old teachers and 0:13:43.920 --> 0:13:48.840 the administration even paid for the classes I took. While 0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:51.240 listening to your show, I got to thinking about what 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:54.120 you said. Teachers don't get enough credit for all that 0:13:54.160 --> 0:13:56.800 they do. So I want to play a song for 0:13:56.840 --> 0:14:00.160 all those teachers out there who change students' lives each 0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:03.760 and every day. I bet you still remember times when 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:06.679 a teacher did something for you, and you, Delilah, have 0:14:06.720 --> 0:14:09.960 helped me to realize what a jerk I have been 0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:12.880 to many of my teachers when all they wanted to 0:14:12.920 --> 0:14:16.960 do was help. It seems a little ironic, but at sixteen, 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:19.680 I'm writing this to you because I think I've grown 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:22.240 up since I quit school, and I would give just 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:25.800 about anything to go back. Thank you for all that 0:14:25.840 --> 0:14:30.200 you do from Travis. When we come back, I'm going 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:33.800 to try and get a living legend from my hometown 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:36.880 of Reid Sport, Oregon on the phone with me. But 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:39.240 right now I want to give a minute of time 0:14:39.320 --> 0:14:44.880 to this very important message. I have been very, very 0:14:45.000 --> 0:14:49.520 very blessed to have some pretty amazing teachers, and I 0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:53.320 was so blessed to go to amazing schools when I 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:55.760 was a kid growing up. I didn't recognize it at 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:59.200 the time. I didn't know how fortunate I was. I 0:14:59.280 --> 0:15:03.920 lived in a little logging community, but we were fairly 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:07.760 well off. Not we my family, but the community was 0:15:07.920 --> 0:15:12.640 very well off because the logging industry was booming, and 0:15:12.960 --> 0:15:17.600 so our schools were well funded. We were tiny town, 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:21.240 less than four thousand people, and yet we had an 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:25.320 amazing staff at our grade school, junior high high school. 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:29.720 Oh my gosh, we had extracurricular activities that you wouldn't believe. 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:32.960 We had a forestry program, we had an oceanography program, 0:15:33.000 --> 0:15:35.880 we had a boat. We had a home ac department 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:39.320 that had like five kitchens in it, and we got 0:15:39.360 --> 0:15:42.000 to prepare food that we caught on the boat and 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.800 then prepare it in the kitchens and then feed families 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:50.960 to raise money for our oceanography program. We had kilns 0:15:51.240 --> 0:15:54.480 in our art classes, and we got to put on 0:15:54.640 --> 0:16:00.680 plays with sets and screens and lights and costumes. We 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:04.480 had an amazing school where I grew up, and I 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:08.680 didn't appreciate it. I didn't couldn't wait to get out 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:10.880 of that little town. Had a chip on my shoulder 0:16:10.880 --> 0:16:13.360 a mile wide. Don't ask me why. I have no clue. 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.720 But it was probably not until my twenties that I 0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:21.600 realized how blessed I was, how fortunate I was, how 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:25.880 spoiled I was to grow up in such a tight 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:31.080 knit community with so many wonderful people. Wonderful, wonderful people, 0:16:31.240 --> 0:16:34.480 and some of the best people in my life were 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:38.440 teachers who poured their heart and soul into me. 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:41.520 How are you? 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:43.640 I got to tell you. I don't know if I 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:44.400 can call you. 0:16:44.520 --> 0:16:46.480 Jim, Oh you can. 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:50.040 I don't know, because it just it feels wrong. 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:56.480 After I had those experiences with teachers, my experience is 0:16:56.640 --> 0:17:00.880 very same. It's very difficult, but we'll get over it, Okay. 0:17:00.840 --> 0:17:03.720 All right, I'll try, But to me well, forever and 0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:06.680 always either be mister Wells or coach Wells. 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:12.040 Yeah, well, those are amazing titles and I've enjoyed them, 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:17.280 but yeah, we're past that. Jim is good, Okay, I'll try. 0:17:16.840 --> 0:17:22.399 Okay, mister Wells, see with your family. It's a double 0:17:22.400 --> 0:17:27.320 whammy because your wife, mary Anne was my eighth grade teacher, right. 0:17:27.560 --> 0:17:29.920 I had her for math and English and eighth grade, 0:17:30.680 --> 0:17:34.000 and then I had you the next year for social studies. 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:37.640 So it's I can't say Mary Anne or Jim, it's 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:39.200 mister missus Wells. 0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:41.639 H That is hard, I know. 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:45.760 So I asked my sister Deanna, who's also my executive 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:48.920 producer for my podcast, to reach out to you because 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:55.040 we're doing this podcast about educators, administrators, teachers, the people 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:58.080 that cook in the kitchen, the people that invest their 0:17:58.119 --> 0:18:03.480 heart and their time and their energy into helping children 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:07.280 to learn. And while we were talking about it, Deanna said, man, 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:11.520 remember mister Wells, Remember missus Wells. And we started remembering, 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:14.720 and she said, you know what, we need to talk 0:18:14.760 --> 0:18:15.120 to them. 0:18:15.680 --> 0:18:18.800 Well, it's nice, that's great, honor. 0:18:19.160 --> 0:18:21.879 Well, how many years did you teach. 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:26.040 Thirty five and your wife twenty eight. 0:18:26.480 --> 0:18:30.160 So between the two of you, Oh gosh, Yeah. 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:36.080 Yeah, we just celebrated our sixtieth anniversary here this last August. 0:18:36.200 --> 0:18:38.320 So yeah, time goes by. 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:41.840 And do you still look into each other with google 0:18:41.840 --> 0:18:43.600 eyes like you did when we were in school? 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:48.320 I don't think so different? 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:54.280 Better better better. The thing I remember about your wife 0:18:54.320 --> 0:18:58.119 was she always had a smile on her face. 0:18:58.640 --> 0:19:01.040 We need to have a lot more miles in this world. 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:04.960 Even when she was really mad at us, really she 0:19:05.000 --> 0:19:07.240 would smile and she would say, I'm going to count 0:19:07.320 --> 0:19:09.200 three and you will sit down. 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:12.399 That's great. 0:19:12.720 --> 0:19:18.560 So for our listeners who are listening to our podcast, 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:22.440 and our podcast is called love Someone, And the whole 0:19:22.480 --> 0:19:27.040 focus of the reason I decided to do a podcast 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:31.919 is because I want to inspire people to make the 0:19:31.960 --> 0:19:33.359 world a better place. 0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:36.840 Good, good for you, and wonderful. 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:39.919 Goal And you and your family have done that for 0:19:40.000 --> 0:19:42.360 decades for our community where I grew up. 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:48.240 Yeah, well, it's it's a lifestyle and a passion and 0:19:48.840 --> 0:19:53.160 something that's just us. I guess we have enjoyed every mile. 0:19:54.280 --> 0:19:57.040 Do you remember, Jim, the reason that you started teaching, 0:19:57.119 --> 0:19:58.920 Why you chose teaching as a professional. 0:19:58.960 --> 0:20:02.919 No. Number one reason I couldn't face three more years 0:20:02.960 --> 0:20:03.800 of law school. 0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:09.000 Wow, that's an honest admission. 0:20:09.720 --> 0:20:12.960 And after my first year teaching, I knew I was 0:20:13.000 --> 0:20:13.720 in the right place. 0:20:14.119 --> 0:20:17.639 Think about the number of lives that you and Mary 0:20:17.640 --> 0:20:18.120 Anne have. 0:20:18.160 --> 0:20:22.520 Impacted, well, you know, and they impacted me hugely too. 0:20:23.400 --> 0:20:27.480 But you didn't just teach. The thing that stands out 0:20:27.680 --> 0:20:31.040 in my mind when when I was in school was 0:20:31.200 --> 0:20:34.439 you and your wife didn't just teach math and English, 0:20:34.480 --> 0:20:36.199 and for me it was social studies. You taught me 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:39.720 social studies and finance. I think I had you for finance, 0:20:40.160 --> 0:20:44.480 personal finance. You taught integrity, and you taught accountability. 0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:46.320 Those are very important. 0:20:46.480 --> 0:20:50.120 Like with the coaching, you were always insistent that even 0:20:50.119 --> 0:20:52.560 if you you know, couldn't play, if you were ineligible 0:20:52.600 --> 0:20:54.440 to play, you dressed down, you sat on the bench, 0:20:54.520 --> 0:20:57.879 you supported the team, you were a part of a team. 0:20:58.200 --> 0:21:01.440 And man, those are priceless. 0:21:02.240 --> 0:21:07.160 Yeah, the relationships that you build are just lifelong. Really, 0:21:07.200 --> 0:21:11.159 I've got I got to say that ninety percent of 0:21:11.200 --> 0:21:14.440 my best friends or my former students. I have many 0:21:14.560 --> 0:21:20.040 professional associates and stuff and we're friends, but really my 0:21:20.760 --> 0:21:28.200 deepest friendship are former students and former athletes that were students. Also, 0:21:28.240 --> 0:21:31.679 of course, but and this is the thing that a 0:21:31.680 --> 0:21:35.960 lot of people don't realize that you take these kids 0:21:36.000 --> 0:21:41.320 into your life and they're more than just students. I 0:21:41.320 --> 0:21:46.720 don't know, I'll get emotional here, but you become a 0:21:46.800 --> 0:21:51.040 father figures. Some kids don't have fathers, some kids don't 0:21:51.040 --> 0:21:56.959 have a family, and sometimes you can provide those needs. 0:21:58.000 --> 0:22:01.520 We served a lot of meals to former students, and 0:22:02.520 --> 0:22:06.440 they're just more than students. And I know teachers that 0:22:07.320 --> 0:22:13.400 elementary school teachers in their classroom, they have brought cereal 0:22:13.600 --> 0:22:19.879 and milk and cookies and things that kids need and 0:22:20.560 --> 0:22:23.720 out of their own pocket are always providing for kids. 0:22:24.359 --> 0:22:26.720 And maybe that's as important is what we taught. 0:22:27.600 --> 0:22:30.800 Now it's my turning to get emotional because I was 0:22:30.840 --> 0:22:35.960 thinking about some of the lessons that you and your 0:22:35.960 --> 0:22:39.280 wife taught when I was in school, and the one 0:22:39.320 --> 0:22:42.600 thing that came to my mind was Carrie Gift. 0:22:43.800 --> 0:22:49.800 Oh wow, yeah, yeah, been a lot of Carrie Gifts 0:22:49.840 --> 0:22:52.400 and others that had other needs. 0:22:53.160 --> 0:22:56.600 Carrie, he had a lot of special needs. Ye and 0:22:56.680 --> 0:23:03.480 you made him team captain or no, he was manager manager. 0:23:04.240 --> 0:23:08.440 You made him manager and he loved. 0:23:08.160 --> 0:23:10.879 It pretty better. And he was essential. 0:23:11.400 --> 0:23:14.240 He was essential and all of a sudden, there was 0:23:14.440 --> 0:23:19.919 a new respect for Carrie that was infectious. You giving 0:23:20.000 --> 0:23:26.080 him that responsibility and letting him shine, because he really 0:23:26.119 --> 0:23:31.480 did shine. It really did change the dynamic of his life. 0:23:32.359 --> 0:23:34.960 Kids that are picked on you need to help find 0:23:35.160 --> 0:23:38.200 find their spot it can shine. 0:23:38.760 --> 0:23:41.879 So if you had advice to give to somebody, a 0:23:41.920 --> 0:23:44.879 young person who is thinking of their future, trying to 0:23:44.920 --> 0:23:47.320 figure out what they want to do, where they want 0:23:47.359 --> 0:23:51.120 to go in life, what would be your words of wisdom? 0:23:51.160 --> 0:23:53.240 If they're thinking about maybe becoming. 0:23:52.880 --> 0:23:56.680 A teacher, you know, I think I would quote them 0:23:56.720 --> 0:24:02.040 Winston Churchill. He said that to what you get in 0:24:02.080 --> 0:24:06.600 life is based on what you give. What you get 0:24:06.640 --> 0:24:09.159 in terms of paying things like that or nothing. You 0:24:09.760 --> 0:24:13.240 what you give makes you who you are, and you'll 0:24:13.240 --> 0:24:17.959 find I think the most happiness in giving for them getting. 0:24:18.760 --> 0:24:21.240 I think I would tell them that it's true. 0:24:22.040 --> 0:24:25.080 Mister Wells. Thank you, Blessings to you and your wife 0:24:25.160 --> 0:24:27.520 and your boys. And next time I'm home, I can't 0:24:27.520 --> 0:24:28.080 wait to see you. 0:24:28.320 --> 0:24:30.280