You Were the Greatest

When Marilyn and I went out for Mexican food recently, I tried to recall when I first began loving that particular ethnic repast. Neither of my parents liked Mexican food, so why then do I? The answer is my high school Spanish teacher, Miss K.

Miss K was what we called back then an “old maid” schoolteacher. She never married and lived in a tiny apartment until the day that she died. Still, she was one of the unsung yet true American heroes that helped educate a generation of students.

Miss K called me Damocles because she said I had the sword of Damocles hanging over my head. I was not a good student but I loved listening to her wonderful stories, as did every other lucky student in her class.

When I was a sophomore, the Spanish Club took a field trip to Shreveport where we ate Mexican food at an El Chico restaurant. I loved it, but most of all I loved Miss K’s tales of music, culture and the trips she took every summer to whichever Spanish-speaking country she happened to visit.

Thoughts of Miss K bring me almost to tears because she was singly responsible for providing a generation of hungry students with massive doses of brain food, me included.

As I ate my chili relleno, I could not help but think about Miss K. Maybe she never received any awards, or accolades but she taught so many students about tolerance, diversity and the responsibility of recognizing other cultures. You were the greatest, Miss K, and I will never forget you.

Eric'sWeb