I swear the “Any questions” part is coincidental. But it’s pretty cool how these seemingly random coincidences influence one another (See title of previous posting).On Thursday I was driving out of the Cline Library parking lot and noticed one of my former students walking with two friends. Out of curiosity and to see how he was doing in school and life, I stopped my car and rolled down the window. It then went something like this:
Me: Hey man. How’s it going?
Former Student (FS): Heheh. Good.
Me: How are you doing in school this semester?
FS: We’re coming from Whole Foods. Heheh heheh.
Me: (Silent, but questioningly making ye olde toking gesture, though I’ve never smoke a joint or blunt—honest).
FS: Heheh heheh. I had you (…as a teacher—I can only assume the rest of the sentence would have gone had he been capable of articulating more than three syllables and a bunch of laughs). Heheh heh.
Me: All right, man. I’ll leave you be. (…as I drove home—saying to myself) Don’t want to ruin your high…
This was certainly an interesting experience. Since I had spent a few hours in the university library I figured I might run into a student, as seems to happen fairly frequently. The last thing I expected was to run into a student who was so likely high. I’d never seen them so giddy and happy in my class. Wow.
Now don’t let my gendered language fool you into thinking this student was necessarily male. I seem to have started this 60sish “man” thing with people of all genders. I think it comes from reading some R. Crumb, which seems appropriate given the situation.
I suppose I’m running out of time to see current and former students wandering the school grounds in elated states of mental being. I’ll be out of this town in precisely two months. I think this might be a good thing. I’m sure it would be equally awkward for students past and present to see me out and about and in a different state of mind than I appear before them four times a week.
Heaven’s waiting down on the tracks, because this town’ll rip the bones from your back. I’m getting out while I’m young.
Links of interest:
Link 1: 198os Drug Public Service Announcement (PSA). This is what I grew up with. On TV I mean. I haven't eaten eggs since.
Link 2: Spider's on Drugs. This one probably most reminds me of the incidence from the other day.
Link 3: Simon and the Land of Chalk Drawings. A cartoon I grew up with, which was probably influenced by drugs.
"Frying Eggs" image courtesy of Feminist Law Professors. I don't know where they stole it from.
2 comments:
Comment #4
First off Paul this could have been far worse! What if you ran into a previous 105 student and she was pregnant (how would you respond)? Also this is more common than you think, but take it from our prospective. We have to talk to a teacher without full capacity and don’t know how they will react. What if one day I ran into you when you super drunk and stumbling I bet it would be just as strange. Overall I think you handled the situation well and I really enjoy the finals quote at the bottom. Just stay cool and respect your students and in return we shall respect you now matter how much sleep you got the night before (do you remember that hyper class? You were beyond weird but we still looked at you the same). I leave you with the final words of advice: youth shall be youthful and though we may do things you don’t, friendships and respect lies in how we approach the situation.
Acceptance and toleration is the key,
Tim
Comment # 4
I believe that you handle this intricatley delicate situation fairly well. I mean while your former student was in an altered state of mind, you are no longer his instructor and thus generally no longer have an impact in his life. Just the same, what happens if you are out having a night on the town with a few of your amigo's and you had a few drinks. What's to say that you're not going to run into one of your present or former students. These are just things that are going to happen when living in such a small town.
Brandon
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