You just never know how things will turn out...

I was in church last Sunday and a friend came in with some of his family with him.  One of the people was a lady, probably in her late 30s, who looked familiar.  Now, before you start shooting harpoons at me being a dirty old man, remember I was in church. So, cut me some slack.

As I was looking at the young lady, trying to remember a name, she said "I know you. You're Mr. B."  So that narrowed it down to the low thousands of people it could have been.  If I had remembered who she walked in with, I probably would have remembered quicker. 

Anyway, it seems that she was a student at THS back in the day.  She reminded me that when I returned to work (I was the Assistant Principal there) following a deployment for Desert Storm, I happened to be observing a teacher who was conducting a math class.  The students were asking that time honored question:  "When are we ever going to use this stuff."  I asked the teacher if I could answer that and proceded to tell them how important math was in figuring azimuths and back azimuths in something called land navigation, a skill that was very important in the military.  Of course, that was then and this is now.  All they have to know is how to turn on a GPS.  Progress?

I taught the class for the next two days and then I took the class out to the football field where I had laid out a compass course and let them have at it.  As they came to the correct location, they were either given a front azimuth or a back azimuth and they had to figure out which one they had and then find their way to the next spot.  If they navigated the course correctly, they got a candy bar at the end. 

She said she has remembered that course and how much fun it was.  Then, surprisingly, she told me she now is a math teacher.  Go figure. With all the pressure on teachers today to be "accountable" and teach for the "test" I doubt she could take time to teach something like this.  Too bad.

And then, just when we finished talking about that, another friend who was listening to all of this said he was talking to a young person up town  who said they were from Anna.  He said if that was the case, then you probably know Mr. B.  The young person said yes -- he used to have writing contests at the school and the one who won would get a plane ride from him (back when I had my pilot's license).  I also would take the middle school student of the month up for a ride.  That was fun and the kids really enjoyed seeing Wal-Mart and their grand parents' farm from 3,000 ft.

Those were some really great times and I thoroughly enjoyed working with young people. I think some of them learned a few things and really liked flying.  I enjoyed any excuse to take the plane out.

When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.

Hooah