DIRT DON'T HURT: Language love from a great teacher. Verstehe?
I don’t know what it is that seems to magically connect two people. I’m sure there’s some fancy scientific way to describe it with pheromones, or a new age way to describe it with auras, or even a down-to-earth explanation of simply love.
Whatever it is, I consider myself a very lucky gal to celebrate it over two cups of coffee and some eggs.
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There’s no good answer to why I chose to study German in high school. I had plenty of other options, but I just thought it would be a fun language to fulfill my requirement. I had no intention of spending four years with this tiny little teacher, who had more spunk than all of my other teachers combined, but thanks to her I became practically fluent and even was a founding member of our school’s Oom-pah-pah band. Was it the language I loved? Her enthusiasm was impossible to ignore.
Relationship that is so much more than conjugating verbs
Known to everyone as “Frau,” she and I got to know each other quite well over that time span. She saw me as a student and a person, and looking back, I now know I learned so much more from her than just how to conjugate a verb. I learned about attitude and teaching and caring and how some people are just special.After graduation came the cards.
A meticulous keeper of dates, Frau followed me around for the past 27 years from address to address, sending Christmas (Fröhliche Weihnachten!) and birthday (Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!) cards, keeping me up to date on her family and her life. Admittedly, I didn’t respond as well − sometimes life just gets in the way and these important things don’t seem so important. I sent a few cards. I should have sent many more.
This year’s card spawned an idea of a meeting. I’d seen her once before, a few years ago, but time is precious and when we considered sharing a meal at a restaurant at a midway point, there’s no way I would miss it. She didn’t make me speak in German, thankfully, but I drank a lot of Kaffee and the hours flew by filled with nonstop conversation.
It is so special to be able to connect with your past while living in your present, and even more special when it’s with someone who inspires you to be joyous, energetic, enthusiastic, and generally a better person than you were the day before.
I am sending her a clipping from this newspaper in a card. What better way to say thank you to a teacher who taught me so much more than German? Vielen Dank, Frau.
Contact Karrie McAllister at mckarrie@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Dirt Don't Hurt: Such a difference a card makes
