November 27th, 2007

My appreciation for teachers continues to grow. I’m writing about schoolmarms of the Old West and am amazed at all they had to do to bring formal education to the frontier. Some of the teachers used McGuffey Readers to teach their class how to read and spell. Others only had a Bible or a Sears, Roebuck catalog as a text book. I applaud the teachers I’ve had in my life. Viginia Upton was a dedicated teacher who was as kind as she was intelligent. Most everything she taught me has turned out to be correct with the exception of one item. She believed in justice and taught me that evil would always be found out. Not true. A copy of letter came today to my mother requesting that my brother quick claim deed the house he owned with the unfortunate horror of a human being he was married to, over to her. My brother will never be able to sign his name again. Evil will never be found out. I wish my heart wasn’t so overtaken by hatred at times like this. It’s hard not to think that way when your mother is crying and misses her son…and always will. Where is the relief? If only a teacher knew.