MRS. GILMORE

In my education days, which included Rochester & Honeoye, New York, & then on to Memphis, Tennessee, I crossed paths with many teachers. Some good. Some not so good. A few were very good. The "Best-of-the-Best" was Mrs. Gilmore.

Mrs. Patricia Gilmore was my 7th grade teacher at Ellwanger & Barry (#24) School in Rochester, New York. This would be about 1960. Mrs. Gilmore was dedicated, thoughtful & provided the right amount of personal attention & direction to a sometimes difficult-to-handle student ... ME.

Until I got to college, I was an average student at best. I am sure I frustrated many teachers -- especially Mrs. Gilmore -- who found me falling short of my potential. She encouraged me in many areas, disciplined me when needed & allowed me to develop in areas such as math & art.

Where I failed Mrs. Gilmore -- and myself, I was to finally realize -- was my failing to grasp & comprehend subjects which ... "didn't interest me". I was bored easily. I didn't study properly & always did enough to ... "get by".

English was a good example. I hated composition. UGH !!! I didn't care about sentence structure & I hated diagramming sentences. WHO NEEDS IT ?? I was more interested in math, science & drawing. Fun things. Subjects I knew about & didn't have to study & LEARN.

Years later -- TOO MANY YEARS -- I would have given anything to be able to go back to the 7th grade & have Mrs. Gilmore teach me all about proper writing & sentence formatting. Ah, to learn "again" [since I didn't give it my full attention at the time] about putting words on paper -- or, as now days -- in the computer ... in the proper context & meaning. It would be so much easier to learn from her ... rather than how I did learn -- "in the school of hard knocks".

I would love to be able to go to Mrs. Gilmore & thank her for all she taught me & for having such a wonderful memory of her. At the same time, I would want to apologize to her for my immaturity & failure to really listen to her when she said ... "You'll need to know this someday". It's only years later that I realized how much information was being given to me & how hard Mrs. Gilmore worked to be the great teacher she was. I feel I passed the grade but failed her.

The next year -- 8th grade -- everyone in my class went to Monroe High School. The following year, my family moved to Honeoye, New York. About that time, Mrs. Gilmore & her husband moved -- I believe -- to Scranton, Pennsylvania.

I often wondered what happened to this woman who shines so bright in my memory. What happened to her & how did her life turn out ?? Did she continue with her teaching career ?? Is she still alive ?? [She'd be a bit younger than Hilda, my Mother.] All questions I would love to have answers to.

Here's to Mrs. Gilmore. Many years gone from my life ... but never from my memory.