| Hancock Place, Hancock Place | for everyone |
Back in the day (okay, the mid '70s) there came to pass a satirical soap opera called "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" which was what it simultaneously parodied. Shortly before that I had joined my own soap opera cast by taking a job at Hancock High School, a role in which I continued through varying plot twists and turns as well as my own personality incarnations for 37 years (significantly longer than the show's run).
I've been gone from The Place for a while now, and have become increasingly disconnected from the daily vicissitudes and tribulations of that little universe (which often sounds fictional, but only to those who haven't lived it). But on Tuesday I visited at the annual "Feed the Old Teachers and They Will Come Holiday Luncheon" hosted by the Middle School and took advantage of the opportunity to visit with old friends (retired and current teachers and administrators) and former colleagues who remain part of that life.
While I enjoyed the hugs and renewed camaraderie with some of the finest professionals in the world as well as some dear former students who now ably represent our profession, what I learned was that the district is (still) like a soap opera: you need not pay any attention for 6 months, or longer, but it takes only a an hour or two to get caught up with the general plot line as well as some of the juicier subplots that renewed the shrugs, smirks, shirks and eye-rolls that I thought I had left behind.
There still is no place quite like "The Place."
I've been gone from The Place for a while now, and have become increasingly disconnected from the daily vicissitudes and tribulations of that little universe (which often sounds fictional, but only to those who haven't lived it). But on Tuesday I visited at the annual "Feed the Old Teachers and They Will Come Holiday Luncheon" hosted by the Middle School and took advantage of the opportunity to visit with old friends (retired and current teachers and administrators) and former colleagues who remain part of that life.
While I enjoyed the hugs and renewed camaraderie with some of the finest professionals in the world as well as some dear former students who now ably represent our profession, what I learned was that the district is (still) like a soap opera: you need not pay any attention for 6 months, or longer, but it takes only a an hour or two to get caught up with the general plot line as well as some of the juicier subplots that renewed the shrugs, smirks, shirks and eye-rolls that I thought I had left behind.
There still is no place quite like "The Place."
Terri Kung wrote on Dec 23, '10
ReplyDelete:-) You probably can't hear my chortling from NY, but I assure you that's what I'm doing. I love the 'title' of your little get together and can well imagine the tongues wagging at the luncheon. Wish I were there to catch a few tidbits! Have a wonderful holiday with your family.
Bliss Bev wrote on Dec 24, '10
ReplyDeleteAlways giving us something to smile about and at the same time feel a bit wistful over.
Drmist1 wrote on Jan 1, '11
ReplyDeleteI found it ironic that schedule "interventions" made it impossible for me to take full advantage of neither the luncheon nor the free afternoons to complete the grading of finals. I truly wish I had had more time so we could have had a meaningful conversation about The Place.