Saturday, June 2, 2007

Art Teacher Retires, Former Student Shrugs

I knew this guy.

I had Mr. Rodriguez as an art teacher during my time at Calla High School. He had a sleepy demeanor and loose classroom rules that students appreciated. There enough stiff pricks at that school that any teacher who didn't goose-step through the place looking for a way to stick it to some unsuspecting stoner gets an immediate bump in karma points from me. On the other hand, since his classroom shared a wall with the school's main john, he was known to commando through the door and try to catch a punk with a ciggie in his lips. Karma negated...

His and my relationship was of such little substance that it can barely be called such. He wasn't a bad guy, I can say that. I was interested in art and tried to tweeze some techniques out of him, but I didn't learn much. No real fault of his, I haven't learned much since, either, and what I have picked has been slow going. Sometimes, things just don't click.

There were a few folks on staff at the school that had a significant and beneficial impact on me there, he just wasn't one of them. I'm sure he touched some students in a deep and positive manner, just not me. Then again, as much as I hated my entire pre-college scholastic experience, it is more than a lukewarm statement to say that his was not a contribution that added to that hate. I'm content to settle for that.

So, he's hanging up the smock. Good for him.

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