Outtakes 25

Snowy Woods and Frozen Lakes

I was in the sixth grade when my dad received orders for Dow Air Force Base in Bangor, Maine. I hated the thought of leaving my friends, and my boy friend, Johnny Vaughan, but the moves were part of military life. So once again, we packed up and headed north. As we drove the three thousand miles from Louisiana to Maine, I focused more on what I was losing than what I would gain. (Hey, I was a kid.) This change of station shaped so much of my life. Even now, some fifty years later, I can close my eyes and see Maine, the friends I made, and recall the lessons I learned.

I was fortunate to have an English teacher who made creative writing and appreciation of literature a part of the curriculum. You see, Mr. Jordan was a student of four-time Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Robert Frost. This teacher helped me to appreciate the poetry of Frost, Sandburg, T.S. Elliott, Poe, and the older masters. But to this day, Robert Frost remains my favorite poet. Frost had the ability to paint a portrait of New England life. Birches, The Road Not Taken, Mending Wall, Death of the Hired Man, Fire and Ice, and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening bring back such vivid memories of an area of the country I came to love. The words are beautiful on the surface, but they also require thought and introspection. By reading and rereading Frost’s poems, I was able to see beyond the beauty of New England and find simple wisdom beneath the words.

The point of this Outtake is Mr. Jordan’s character. Mr. Jordan was not a writer; he was a Junior High School teacher. He was wise enough to understand each student’s limitations, and base expectations on talent and ability. At the same time, he expected each of us to reach higher and do better. In my opinion, this is the essence of a good teacher. He instructed and then gave us our wings. Sometimes we flew, and at times we fell. But we all tried.

As I was an honors student, he never let me get away with sloppy work. I didn’t appreciate that at the time, but now I realize he had my best interests in mind. I thank him for caring so much. I also thank him for not trying to make a poet of me. I don’t have that talent. I can write simple verse to do little songs for my Sunday school class, but I’ve never been able to capture the intricacies of rhyme, meter, and imagery needed to write good poetry. I envy those who have this talent.

Not only did he teach English, he made me realize I am obligated to give back to others.  You see, Mr. Jordan learned from a master and passed his knowledge on to the next generation. I think Robert Frost said it best in the closing lines of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.

…But I have promises to keep

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Whatever talent we possess, we have in essence, an I.O.U. or a promise to teach others. It’s not enough to leave behind  just our written words. It’s more important to reach out to instruct and inspire others to be their best. Talent is a use it or lose gift, and we need to pay back the loan. No writer should be satisfied to rest on his laurels. He should have the desire to, like Mr. Jordan; pass his knowledge to future generations. I’ve been blessed to come into contact with writers who shared their gifts with me. I only hope I do as good a job for others as they have done for me.

Cait Collins