Tommy Sallow is onto better and brighter things. After working a small hometown beat in upstate New York, he's finally in sunny California. As expected, it's the same shit in a different town. Except, you know, now he's near the ocean and miserable...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The burnt colors of fall have begun to emerge along with the brisk air of the morning. I don't mind the slow end of the heat waves beginning to surrender to the breeze that lifts the leaves from their branches.
I think the beauty of fall is one of the things I'll miss most about my time living on the East Coast. The clear definition between seasons, making you appreciate the one before it while anticipating the one that follows. Each season brings on its clear choice of activities. Activities that were built solely on the clear divide of weather from one month to the next.
Though the seasons still have names here, their changes are subtle. I can still be found on the beach in a shirt or light sweater on most December days. An umbrella is sometimes needed, but most times a light raincoat will suffice. And though the leaves are beginning to take on their vibrant array of fall colors, they're nowhere near as enchanting as the opposite coast.
My classroom is currently one giant display of those very colors. From the bulletin paper to the fancy borders and art plastered across the walls, it's very clear that the time of pumpkins and turkeys is here. A much different feel than the summer vibes I had up to start the year just over a month ago. As if the scene is not enough, it's parent night tonight. Another moment for me to be in two places at once.
As the parents begin trickling in, I kindly check the time. I made arrangements with Teresa, the head of our program, to take over for a few moments while I let Mia give me a tour of her classroom. It's not that I haven't seen it every day, but we gave the option for parents to bring their kids to proudly show their parents around, taking pride in their work. She's been talking about this moment all week. We even made plans to video call her dad so he could be a part of it. It's yet another reason why I keep checking the time.
I just need to give parents another few minutes to show up, give my speech, then sneak over to Mia's presentation before bolting back here to field more questions. Should be easy enough.
Once the room is nearly filled, I take my place at the front and gather everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming. As you can see, we've already begun October by diving into some fun fall activities. We have a lot more things to come this month and next, including our Fall Festival."
I continue to discuss the various things planned for the remainder of the month including our costume parade, the coveted festival, and various art activities. Speaking in front of this many eyes used to be something I actually took pride in. Public speaking never used to bother me. Over the years, I have learned to find gazing eyes alarming. Fear that they always saw things that I worked to cover. If people watch too long, they're bound to see beneath the veil.
Right now, I'm doing my best to remind myself that it's been months. That I've already accomplished so much, changed in so many ways. I keep focusing on the walls just above each parent's head. A strategy I learned in a public speaking class. A strategy that at the time I thought was ridiculous. I always felt people deserved to be looked in the eyes, acknowledged. I guess when you lose yourself, when you find ways to hide pieces of who you are, you also lose the ability to confront others. Something I'm still working on.
