Living Life — a Profile in Courage

Summary

A retired mathematics teacher reflects on acts of courage throughout their life, emphasizing the daily choice to maintain a positive attitude and the bravery in sharing personal thoughts on a public platform.

Abstract

The author, a retired mathematics teacher, recounts several instances of personal bravery, including intervening in violent situations and choosing positivity over 5000 days of teaching. They highlight the courage found in everyday choices, such as loving oneself despite imperfections, striving to grow, and caring for others. The teacher also shares the trepidation of writing publicly on Medium, an act outside their comfort zone, yet ultimately rewarding.

Opinions

The author believes that true courage is not defined by isolated heroic acts but by consistently choosing to have a good day and be positive.
They express a sense of duty to protect others, as seen in their intervention during a domestic dispute and in breaking up student fights.
The author values personal growth and the decision to care for and reach out to people, considering these actions as manifestations of courage.
They acknowledge the challenge and vulnerability involved in sharing personal thoughts and experiences in a public forum like Medium.
The author reflects on their career with pride, having impacted many lives over 33 years of teaching.

Following directions, I pondered the “brave” things I have done in my life.

I once took a knife away from a student who was brandishing it at another student.

I stepped between students fighting to protect them from being injured.

Probably the most textbook thing I have ever done happened in the late 70’s, long before cellphones. I was sitting in a bar having a beer when a car stopped on the street in front of the bar on the opposite side. A female passenger got out and the male driver got out also. The woman tried to get away but the man grabbed her and started to hit her. On seeing this, I told my friends to go tell the bartender to call the police. I think I really did say “watch my beer”. The moment I stepped out I yelled to the man calling him an “asshole”. Well, I think my actual words were “Hey Asshole”. He turned to look at me still holding the women. He was much bigger than me and even more so with her. I continued to verbally abuse him and humiliate him from my side of the street. Finally, he let her go and she ran. At that moment I thought: “Well that is good, now I’m going to get my ass kicked”

I kept talking shit to him as he got more and more angry. Eventually he started to slowly cross the street towards me. Almost at that moment I heard sirens. I told the man that the police had been called so he could get in his car and run just like the coward he was or he could come and kick my ass and get arrested. Luckily for me, he chose to get in his car and flee. I got to drink free for the rest of the night.

I am a retired teacher. I am a retired mathematics teacher. One of the scariest things I have done is share my thoughts on Medium. Mathematics teachers were not the people in school that were often asked to wordsmith. Opening up and being vulnerable is not my daily routine.

I retired from teaching after 33 years. Rounding off that is more than 5000 days of teaching. The most courageous thing I have done in my life is, for almost all of those days and the many days since, I chose to have a good day. I chose to be positive. I chose even with all of my imperfections to love the person I saw in the mirror. I chose to grow. I chose to reach people. I chose to care. It is not the outlying events of our lives that make us brave or courageous. It is that we chose to be us no matter the situation we are in that makes us courageous.