The Friday before our book came out, Jake and I met up with our friends Richard and Danea for dinner at Pizza King in Longview.
Pizza King is a ’50s-style, mom-and-pop diner that holds a tight grip on the hearts of many people who grew up in the area. You step inside, and it’s like you’re a kid again: the smiling cartoon logo dude, the wholesome red and white interior, the epic wait before you can stuff your faces with hot, delicious pepperoni, cheese and crust.
(To give you an idea of this place’s pull, when I thanked my buddy Todd for driving four hours from Austin to attend our book launch on Aug. 3, he just shrugged and said, “Well, it’s an excuse to eat at Pizza King.”)
So there we were, sitting in our booth, sharing a King’s Delight and riding the nostalgia vibes, when Jake asked a simple question: who was the first teacher who inspired us to pursue the path we ended up taking?
I realized then that I had not thought about my teachers in years. They had all been overshadowed by my newspaper adviser at Kilgore College, whom I owe for everything. But as I pondered Jake’s question, a long-forgotten name popped into my head.
In high school in the mid-’90s, I was a weird kid masquerading as a normal one. I played football, rode four-wheelers and worked in the oilfield to keep gasoline in my Chevy Silverado. I reckoned someday I would take a full-time job in the petroleum industry, like real men do.
English was by far the most boring subject in school. We trudged through never-ending grammar worksheets, and the way I remember it, most of the writing assignments involved formulas designed to pass standardized tests. As a younger child, I had written a lot of short stories and comics, and my teachers in elementary and junior high school had nurtured my interest in reading and writing. By high school, however, I had completely submerged that side of myself.
Then I met Mrs. Kerby, our junior English teacher. Mrs. Kerby’s enthusiasm was contagious. We spent the beginning of each period writing in a journal that no one else would ever read, let alone grade or judge, and I warmed to this newfound opportunity for creative freedom. When she assigned a “descriptive writing” essay, for example, I turned in an outlandish story filled with over-the-top and grotesque misfits. One of the characters was obviously based on my teacher.
My story deviated significantly from the prompt, but Mrs. Kerby didn’t scold me or give me a bad grade. Instead, she delighted in my quirky vision. With her encouragement, over the course of my junior year, I gained the confidence to consider myself a writer. (She also made us read The Scarlet Letter, but hey, no one said this is a perfect world).
As I contemplated my education, other great teachers came to mind. I was also reminded of an assignment in my third-grade class, when I first learned the power of the written word. Mrs. Wilson asked every student to write a paper explaining how to make a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich, and when we came back from recess, she had made everyone a snack according to our specifications. My friend Emmett Shankle III ended his paper with the directive to “Eat up!” Instead of a sandwich on his desk, he now found a napkin sprinkled with bread crumbs. Oh no! Someone had followed his instructions too closely! There was a moment of panic. Would Emmett not get a sandwich? Then Mrs. Wilson retrieved another PB&J from her desk, and we all laughed with relief.
Many years later, on a Friday night at Pizza King, my friends offered variations of the same answer to Jake’s question. We each had teachers who fostered our talents, nurtured our interests and sent us on a path to becoming an artist, photographer, microbiologist or writer. These people played an essential role in shaping our lives, and I hope their contributions will not fade from memory so easily this time.
The pizza, well, it was as good as we remembered.
42 responses to “Fresh pizza and old teachers”
Wonderful beat ! I wish to apprentice whilst you amend your website, how could i subscribe
for a weblog site? The account helped me a applicable deal.
I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided vibrant clear idea
I every time used to study paragraph in news papers but now as I
am a user of internet therefore from now I am using net for articles or reviews, thanks
to web.
I blog quite often and I really appreciate your information. This article has truly peaked my interest.
I am going to take a note of your website and keep checking for new
details about once a week. I opted in for your RSS feed as well.
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this post and the rest of the site is really good.
We are a gaggle of volunteers and opening a brand new
scheme in our community. Your web site offered us with helpful info to work on. You have performed an impressive job and our whole neighborhood might be grateful to you.
Greetings! This is my first visit to your blog!
We are a team of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a
community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a outstanding job!
Can I show my graceful appreciation and tell you
my secret ways on really good stuff and if you want to
seriously get to hear Let me tell you a brief about how to make a fortune I am always
here for yall you know that right?
You should be a part of a contest for one of the best websites on the web.
I most certainly will highly recommend this
website!
I’m gone to say to my little brother, that he should also visit
this website on regular basis to obtain updated from newest reports.
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a
amusement account it. Look advanced to more added agreeable from you!
By the way, how could we communicate?
I have been browsing online more than 3 hours today, yet I
never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth
enough for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you did,
the web will be a lot more useful than ever before.
I love it when people get together and share opinions.
Great website, keep it up!
OMG! This is amazing. Ireally appreciate it~ May I finally
give back a secret only I KNOW and if you want to seriously get to
hear You really have to believe mme and have faith and I will show how to make money Once again I want to show my appreciation and may all the blessing goes to you now!.
you are in reality a good webmaster. The site loading velocity is amazing.
It sort of feels that you are doing any unique trick.
Also, The contents are masterwork. you’ve performed a
excellent job in this matter!
Yes! Finally someone writes about website.
This is very interesting, You are a very skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking
more of your wonderful post. Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks!
I am sure this paragraph has touched all the internet visitors, its really really
good paragraph on building up new blog.
Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The
text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Firefox.
I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with browser compatibility
but I thought I’d post to let you know. The
layout look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved soon.
Cheers
Hello to every body, it’s my first pay a visit of this web site;
this web site carries awesome and actually fine material in favor of readers.
Excellent blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?
I’m hoping to start my own website soon but
I’m a little lost on everything. Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m totally confused ..
Any suggestions? Bless you!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on website. Regards
Thank you for some other informative web site.
The place else may just I am getting that type of info written in such an ideal
approach? I’ve a project that I am just now running on, and I have been on the glance out for such information.
We stumbled over here by a different web address and thought
I might as well check things out. I like what I see so i am
just following you. Look forward to looking over your web page again.
Yes! Finally someone writes about website.
I do not even know the way I finished up here,
however I believed this submit was once great. I do not recognise who you are
however certainly you’re going to a well-known blogger in the event you are not already.
Cheers!
Let me give you a thumbs up man. Can I tell you exactly how to do amazing values and if you want to really
findout? and also share valuable info about how to change
your life yalla lready know follow me my fellow commenters!.
Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my old one!
It’s on a completely different subject but it
has pretty much the same layout and design. Excellent choice of colors!
This site was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something which helped me.
Kudos!
My family members every time say that I am wasting my time
here at net, except I know I am getting experience daily
by reading such pleasant articles.
jklezourx byueh hejiuqe dhwi xroeqmiklqqjxeg
study music
work jazz
calm music
trap workout motivation
relaxing winter jazz
live piano
water sounds
cozy sweet winter jazz
healing music
bossa nova cafe
726494 804408Some genuinely nice stuff on this internet site , I enjoy it. 343789
312181 122203I surely didn?t know that. Learnt one thing new these days! Thanks for that. 644573