Faith in the future

Back when I was teaching I spent my last two years losing hope.  Do you remember that feeling you had when you found out Santa was not real, or that there was a man behind the curtain in Oz, or that some people will never really care about others?  That is the feeling I had in my last two years of education.  I realized that some people (too many for my liking) just did not give a darn about students.  They only looked at test scores.  They ignored the kids' personal challenges and triumphs, they did not wipe tears, give high fives, or share 10 minutes of no-brainer conversation filled with laughter.  Those people missed out!

Two years ago I had the honor of working closely with about a dozen kiddos that honestly saved me.  They will forever hold a dear place in my heart.  I owe them more than they will ever know.  Fo Sho ;)  Here is a post for them from back then.

I do not keep up with them much now as I have quit that job, and they can no longer pop into my classroom, kick back, and disrupt the class that I was supposed to be teaching.  So you could image my surprise and sheer delight when I opened my email recently from a concert company. 

Okay, that did not set up very well.  

I am on a mailing list for an artist named Bob Schneider (greatness!  look him up) and I usually delete the emails.  This week I opened it and started to scroll down.  Lo and behold, I saw the name of one of my former lovelies.  TWICE!!  Turns out that she will be playing the House of Blues in Dallas!  I freaked out!  I immediately start researching and coming up with ways to get to one of these shows.  I am going to do everything in my power to see her live.

I do not have permission to print her name and concert dates just yet, but I will let you know when I hear from her.  Let me just tell you, this little lady is such joy and grace in one person! She is kind and funny and talented to boot.  She is a perfect example of a Witness in a young person.  Just read her "about me" section from her MySpace Music page...

hello lovely people. my name is Jane* and i want to make music forever and ever, even if its in coffee shops until I'm a cute, little old lady. i want to make you feel alright about life and lighten your load by telling you that we are all in really good hands. i also want to tell you some good news - that everything, everything - heartache and joy and sorrow and bad days and sunshine - it all pushes us onward to see that we are a lovely people made for lovely purposes. we are dearly, hugely, and personally loved. those moments when you are driving in your car on a perfectly breezy afternoon with nothing to do but listen to music and let the sun spill on your skin, when you know you are right where you're meant to be- those moments may seem far and few between but they come and they will keep coming. so come on, world, lighten up. you've got a lot of love waiting to kiss your pretty face.

It was because of those kids that I had, and continue to have, faith in the future.

* not her real name.  Duh.