Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 13:45:32 -0400 (EDT)
Random Thought: What Would I Ask

It's sprinkling outside. Not much more than falling dew than anything else, but it's the first heavenly water I've seen around this desert in weeks. And it's just enough to make gardening too messy. It also interrupted a conversation I was having with a student who had interrupted her jogging to chat.

As she approached the house in a slow jog, she had seen me piddling in the garden and stopped. I had looked up and envied her. The crud that has a grip on my nose and lungs for the past week has kept me off the streets. She's an education major and so as I gave her a tour of what the arid conditions had left of my flowers and showed her the koi pond we started talking about education stuff.

"One last thing," said as the drops lightly descended. "If you had to ask me about being an ed major, what would you ask first?"

"The same thing I now ask myself everyday." I answered without a hesitation. "Do you NEED to be a teacher? Do you have to be in the classroom? Is teaching in your soul?"

I'm not sure what she expected me to say, but she was surprised by my answer. "I've got to think about that. How about an answer Tuesday night before class?"

"Take your time. Think long and hard about it. Don't rush it. It's too important to hurry. People's lives are at stake, and I don't mean just yours. Think about it."

"I promise." And off she ran to finish her exercise.