Life is changing for this guy.... quickly. 2 kids, 2 new jobs, we sold our house, and bought a house. It helps me to look at it all as the 'turning of a page' or a 'new chapter' or some other literary placeholder for reality. But the truth is, it's tough, and confusing, and sad while also exciting. Leaving Fort Osage really still hasn't sunk in despite daily reminders. It's as much my home as anywhere I have ever lived. I've laughed and enjoyed spending time with thousands of people in the past decade+.
9 years ago - on this date - something pretty big happened that I will never forget. I feel like it really symbolizes all the great things about my life as an educator, stuco advisor, Fort Family member, and human. 9 years ago today is the day that we had a benefit for my best friend, Tony, after his life-altering/threatening car accident. (For that story read here) My calendar originally had me working a Fort Osage Student Council highway cleanup. The date we needed to have this benefit conflicted with the highway cleanup so I wouldn't be able to help sponsor the event at Fort any longer. For one reason or another (not sure the reason, my attention was on this benefit) the highway cleanup got cancelled... possibly due to low supervision availability.
The event was running smoothly - pancakes were being served to the masses - and all of he sudden a group of Fort kids show up. They've never met Tony. They only know that it was something important to me so they showed up, donated money, ate pancakes and made sure to show support for me. In a day full of overwhelmingly positive emotions - this one stuck with me. They all lived a half an hour away and had probably never been to Odessa. Awesome people. Just awesome people. I have no idea if any of them have ever even thought of this since, but I'll never forget how incredible it was and how indicative this was of what true community is about in a school. This is one of many ways I'll remember Fort Osage.
Faces of Fort
