Big George
Yesterday, I learned of the death of a friend and former colleague. George Austin was a big man. A social science teacher and football coach, he taught and mentored thousands of young people over a long career. Although George was not elderly, he had recently retired, but never lived to enjoy the rest he deserved. That often happens. He'd recently had knee surgery and to the best of my knowledge some of the complications of subsequent surgeries took his life. George was the kind of teacher who could easily put his students needs first. He took the time to do that. His priorities were solidly in order. About 20 years ago, we were roommates for a week at a National Writing Project conference in Princeton, New Jersey. I really got to know George that week. Aside from the intensive work we participated in regarding teacher research, there was time for some relaxation free time. One morning, George asked me to accompany him on a search for clothing. He knew about a store