Among Friends

[shoesnbags]

That would definitely have been my high school biology teacher, Mr. Kluchen.  While he was funny and crazy in a lot of ways, the main thing I remember is his light up ties.  What a character!

[Susan in California]

I had a high school teacher who reminded me so much of the Robin Williams character in Dead Poet's Society.

The man was a Princeton grad and knowledgeable about anciet history ,mythology,  art history, English literature.  He was also hilarious and clever.

We studied Egyptology and mythology and art history,

and he made the subjects fascinating with lots of books to devour.

As a young person, in my early twenties, I actually went to so many of the places I had learned about from him.  I managed to go to Egypt, visit the Cairo Museum, the pyramids of Giza (at that time there was a tour into the Great pyramid).  I was young and lythe, and could squat down to follow a narrow passage. 

This teacher was such a dynamic, fascinating person.  He had zero problems with misbehaving kids.

I looked him up and found out he had died in 2015.

When I was in high school, he was about 35 and he had five children, all under the age of ten. 

He was an East-Coast man, and it was fun to hear about his life with my California perspective.

He loved poetry and said anyone living without defined seasons would not fully appreciate many poems. 

I feel very fortunate to have had such a teacher. 

A high school friend and I communicate every few years, and every time, that teacher would be included in many of our shared memories.