Mr. Showers, my high school biology teacher, was an odd dude. I’ll never forget the time, for example, that he stood on his desk and strummed a guitar while belting out a ditty that started with, “I am a cell, I am only a cell.” I don’t know that I grasped everything he was trying to teach with his unconventional lessons, but there is one thing he taught me that I’ll never forget.
“I know what it’s like being a teenager,” he told my class. “You’re worried about how you look and being cool and popular and you’re comparing yourselves to others and thinking that you just don’t measure up. But I want to tell you that all of you are incredibly lucky just to be alive. Do you know what the chances of you being born are?”
He answered this question with complex statistics that made me grasp that my existence is remarkable. This spoke to me. For a moment I stepped outside of my teenage angst and thought maybe I’m not gorgeous like Kathy Vega or brilliant like my older brother, but I exist and this in and of itself is amazing and something I should be thankful for.
I can’t say that from this moment on I was appreciative of my life and accepted my imperfections. I’m still not there! But I do think of this lesson from time to time and it helps me keep things in perspective.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Photo courtesy of pickthebrain.com.
Honk If You're Vegan 
What a wonderful lesson! I can see why it would stick with you all of these years. It is amazing the impact that teachers, young and old, schooled and not schooled, traditional and non-traditional, expected and unexpected, can have on our lives. One more thing to be thankful for!
Thanks Cowgirl! And thanks also for the lessons you’ve taught me girlfriend. I’ve learned much from you chica. I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving and that maybe, just maybe, some of your family members will be moved to consider veganism from the yummy food you bring to the celebration. I know this won’t be easy since you won’t be in your own kitchen, but I’m sure you’ll manage to whip up some delicious dishes. 🙂
I love amazing teachers. A few years back, I found out my favorite from middle school was still teaching and he impacted my life the most. I ended up e-mailing him and thanking him for all he did. I was glad I was able to brighten up his day because I know he was the reason I looked forward to going to school each day!
I bet your teacher was so touched that you thanked him like that! So many teachers never realize the impact they’re having on kiddos. How kind of you to do that. 🙂
Ah the teachers:)…. People who help us through in so many ways that you loose the counting :). I appreciate the teachers I had in my school years for looking into me for not how I look but for who I was and what I needed. I am thankful for that…
Sounds like you had some great teachers Sonal! They really do make a difference, don’t they! 🙂
🙂
Interesting moment of reflection and such an interesting story to share! Here’s to the wisdom of Mr. Showers! (That was really his name??)
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Yes, his name was really Mr. Showers – hehe. And I remember that he drove an ugly Gremlin and we all made fun of him about it. Thanks so much for your comment – I appreciate it! 🙂
Some teachers are simply unforgettable! Thankfully, most of these in a good way 😉
I’ve had teachers who were unforgettable in a bad way too 😦 Oh well – water under the bridge! 🙂
I feel funny little things in common with you! I am the younger sister of a VERY smart older brother. I heard from many teachers how smart. Blah. Blah. Blah. Smart. OK, I get it! Anyway, one of my favorite memories is from my Physics teacher (who was new and didn’t even KNOW my brother). He used to talk about how atoms are made up of “tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny particles called molecules.” He couldn’t say “tiny” enough times. Therefore, his name, which was Mr. Brennaman, became “Mr. Brenna Menna Menna Menna Menna Man.” He had a very kind sense of humor. I wonder if he knows how much we liked him…
Wasn’t it horrible to follow after a super smartie pants! Oh well, I guess we turned out okay none the less. And yea, we do seem to have a lot in common chica. I’m sure we’d be great friends if we lived close to each other. Then again, who says we can’t be great friends anyway! It sounds like you and your girlfriends had a lot of fun making fun of Mr. Brenna Menna – haha! Memories are the best. 🙂
Mr. Showers sounds like a great teacher – to be able to connect with young people like that. It’s difficult to make teens listen and he found a way. There were a few teachers like that in my life and I’m grateful that they took extra time for the shy, brace-faced, and awkward kid that was me!
Haha – I was the shy, chubby and awkward kiddo! But just look at how we blossomed!! 🙂
I think teachers that make a difference are the ones we remember a life advice by them.. (not the ones the only are text book geeks and we can’t remember a thing). Way to go!
I agree! I was more touched by the teachers I connected with emotionally than the ones I simply gained knowledge from (I’ve forgotten most of that knowledge now anyway!). I didn’t have a lot of teachers that really touched me like that, but I’m thankful for the few that I had. Thanks for chiming in here Sofia! 🙂
Love this lesson too. I wish every middle school girl could hear it!
It’s such an important lesson!! Unfortunately, I’m still in the process of learning it. 🙂
It’s so important to try and remind ourselves of this every day. I know I don’t do it all the time, but I have been trying more and more.
I’m trying to remind myself of this everyday too, but it’s so easy to forget! 🙂
You don’t have imperfections rather unique qualities. Your teacher did a great job seeing that years later he is still making you think and to be thankful. Happiest of Thanksgiving to you and yours 🙂
I like your perspective!! Thanks and a very happy Thanksgiving to you too!! 🙂
What a cool teacher. Even as adults, we worry about how we look and other things that wouldn’t matter had we not been a twinkle in our parents’ eyes. Once in awhile we need a reminder of how blessed we are to be alive.
Yes, even as adults we worry about such stuff – so true!!! Happy Thanksgiving chica – be ye thankful girlfriend!! 🙂
I wanna hear Mr. Shower’s lesson!
Hehe – I wish I could remember it, but all that’s left in my brain is the heart of it. 🙂
Mr. Showers sounds like an awesome dude. Happy Thanksgiving Celeste!
I hope you and Neal have a wonderful Thanksgiving too Ketty!! 🙂
Great story. I was hooked from the visual of a guy standing on a desk playing guitar singing.
It says a lot though. I always love when I look back on my school years and remember certain things my teachers said. It is cool to see what stuck. And being a teacher now I hope I can impart some wisdom on my students as well.
Seems like a rad teacher! I had a crush on my biology teacher, Mr. Vamvrakis. Maybe it was the Greek thing. 😉
Happy Thanksgiving, to an awesome you!
Sophia 🙂
I had a few teacher crushes in my time too 😉
Thank you for blogging Celeste 😀 xox
Well thanks Mr. Ralph – it’s my pleasure! 🙂
That is a great lesson. It’s funny exactly what sticks with you over the years, but so often it’s from the more non-traditional teachers. Happy Thanksgiving!
It is so funny what sticks with you! Sometimes I wonder why certain things have such staying power in my brain while other stuff just fades away. Who knows! 🙂
Aw I love this story. What an amazing teacher!
Beautiful story Celeste! Thanks for sharing. It truly keeps things in perspective on this special day of giving thanks. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! xoxo, Tammi
I love what you write Celeste. Happy Thanksgiving!
Aw thanks! 🙂
I love the unconventional teachers, they are creative and you remember them! They give me permission to be a little wild, too. (smile). Happy Thanksgiving!
Having permission to be a little wild is such an awesome thing!! Who says we have to follow the norm? 🙂
Absolutely loved the lesson that you learnt Celeste. And thanks for sharing it with us, its so easy to lose perspective and complain about so many things we do not have. rather than be grateful and count our blessings for what we DO have!!!
Thanks so much for reading! This is a lesson that I have to remind myself of over and over again! 🙂
What a great story. I’m happy that you got so much from Mr. showers lesson. You are special and unique and there is no one like you. It make me think of the awesomeness of God’s creativeness. With billions of people in the world we’re all different yet incredible the same. God loves the person we are even if at times we find it hard to love who we are. Glad we sent you to Moreau High School.
Thanks Mom both for the comment and for sending me to Moreau. I know you and dad had to give up a lot to send us to private school and I appreciate it. THANKS! 🙂
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
I LIKE HIM—-DID HE EVER SING ABOUT DARWIN’S FINCHES? I HAVE THE LYRICS HERE SOMEWHERE….WHEN I DID!!!!