My Dad Chose Teaching Over Money — Here’s What I Learned
A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
Henry Adams
My father turned down a lucrative job in the aerospace industry to teach high school math.
I’ve almost forgiven him for that.
I can’t help but imagine how different my life would have been in that world: a bigger house, better vacations, cooler toys.
But then I reflect on how different my life is now because of the influence of some dedicated teachers who believed in me.
Considering that, I can understand my father’s choice.
In first grade, Mrs. Weiss fueled my love for reading. In junior high, Mr. Smedley taught me how to decode the most complex sentences. At college, Dr. Bixler challenged me to see the world more accurately without the need to reduce everything to a few predetermined categories.
These lessons have stuck with me throughout my life.
But my teachers have shaped more than my intellect.
My eighth-grade social studies teacher, Mr. Hoeppner, changed my self-image with a brief private conversation. That conversation transformed my thinking, my behavior, and my future.
My high school science teacher, Mr. Schacht, had such a profound impact on my life that I can hardly put it into words. He challenged me; he encouraged me; he believed in me. He was so important in my life that I asked him to be a groomsman at my wedding — and he agreed to it.
As I approach my 50th high school reunion, I’m reminded of these teachers and many others who have helped shape me into the person I am today.
Whatever positive impact I’ve had on others in my life was made possible by their influence — and that of my parents.
In that way, their impact continues to ripple into eternity.
And as I look to the future, I hope to pass on even a fraction of their wisdom, keeping their legacy alive.
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