Mr. Morris

 

Mr. Morris

Mr. Morris woke up from a recurring nightmare in which one of his former students had failed in life because he’d failed them in school. This time it was Sara.  After he gave her an F, she dropped out, got pregnant, and raised her child alone.  Unlike Sara, most of his students went on to college and careers, but he worried most about the ones like Sara, who struggled.  He worried he’d let her down.    

Another student he had nightmares about was Justin, a bully from a violent home who had the brains, just not the spirit, to succeed.  After a couple Fs and a petty theft, Justin the bully was sent away to a special school for troubled youth.  Mr. Morris felt terribly guilty about that one.  If only he had helped Justin.  How many others had he failed? 

 Mr. Morris never worried about students who loved to learn, who became doctors and lawyers, like Jenine the attorney or Robert the surgeon.  They were quick learners who had absorbed knowledge as fast as he could dispense it.  He never worried about those. 

Mr. Morris retired after forty years of teaching thousands of students.  The school threw him a small retirement party with all his fellow teachers and a few of his old students.  

Jenine the attorney and Robert the surgeon didn’t attend.  His class had been easy and forgettable for them.  Sara the single mother and Justin the bully showed up.  They had recovered from their troubles and succeeded in life.  They felt guilty about letting Mr. Morris down by failing to graduate.  Now was their chance to make amends.    

Mr. Morris gave up on guilt that day and never had nightmares again. That night he had the best sleep he’d had in forty years. The day after the party, he returned to the school and asked for his old job back.