Today's disrespect from my students is irritating. That fact that some of them are among my best students makes it a "Woah, how did I misjudge these guys?"
I remember a time when Doc saw me particularly down. He said if I had time I should could come to his office. I did. I spilled out my heart. I loved my college friends but some were not quite the friend to me that I was to them. (Keeping this purely platonic as the discussion was about male and female friends.) In a series of days close male and female friends had ditched me in one way or another.
Doc said: You hold your friends to a higher account. They are not bad people and you know that. You simply want more from them than they are willing to give.
A year or two later he proceed: "I've watched you for the past two years. Your friends now are much better than the friends of your freshman year. You are cultivating real friends and that's good."
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I cannot change the culture of this nation. I cannot change the culture of this university. I can impact the culture of the Management major. If I'm allowed to teach the gatekeeper course I can set standards for acceptable behavior within the major.
I may subscribe to Ms. Manners. If I'm gonna do this I want to do it right.
If I was one who "ditched" you in college - I am very sorry. I was kind of messed up in my last few years - trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life (still trying to do that, as a matter of fact!).
ReplyDeleteSteve - that was kind of inspiring. I know I've been on both ends before. Although, unless it's in another posting I'm curious as to what was said now.
ReplyDelete