Going Anyway

In Order To Grow

Friday, May 19

I cannot believe my last day is next Friday. The thought of walking into my classroom for the last time makes my heart sink.

At the same time, I'm really excited because Iowa is a great place to live, I hear. Living in Iowa is going to bring up way more opportunities for both Ava and I.

Today was a presentation day for my students, and sometimes I forget to pay attention to presentations. I mean, when you have 70 kids present in one day, by the last block, you're so bored, you're tired. I honestly grade presentations by effort. If I can tell someone took a long time preparing for an assignment, I usually show mercy.

I'm not the teacher who makes kids write what they learned from others' presentations either because that's boring. Some students played on their phones, and I didn't mind at all because if I wasn't the teacher, I'd do the same thing. Presentations are so boring, and that's why we only do it twice a year.

After school, I had to finish up some missing work from students who would've failed had I not accepted their late work. When I got home, I took Ava to a grad party of one of my former students, Mason.

When Mason saw me as I walked into the youth room of his church. He gave me a big hug. "Mr. Easton! You came! How are you?"

I gave him a light embrace. "I'm okay. It's good to see you, Mason. How have you been?"

He ran a hand through his hair, and gave me a weak smile. "Senior year has kicked my butt, but it's been good."

Ava looked shyly up at him. She's actually pretty shy around people who aren't her age.

I nodded. "Was it tougher than junior year?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Well, hey, you're here now. Graduation is next weekend, right?"

"Yup."

"You ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"You going to college?"

He shook his head. "Doing the Air Force first."

I raised my eyebrows. "Nice. Ya know I was in the Army National Guard."

"Yeah, you were deployed, too, right?"

"Yup. What's your AFSC gonna be?"

"I don't remember the official name, but I'm doing intel stuff."

"Oh, you'll be good at that," I said honestly. Mason wasn't a dumb kid; he just didn't always want to do his work. "What inspired you to join?"

"I don't wanna have to pay for college, and I need a break from school."

I glared mockingly. "Man, I can't believe you would say such a thing to a teacher. You don't wanna go to school?" I smirked a little.

He licked his lips. "In truth, your class was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken, and that was as an eighth grader, so you can't be talking."

"Harder than your senior classes?"

He smiled a little. "Eh, sometimes."

I folded my arms, secretly debating whether that was an insult or not. "I think you at least learned something."

"I'll give you that. I know how to write a complete sentence."

Ava leaned on me a little bit. I put a hand on her back. "It's what I was there for, I guess."

Mason rested his hand on the table with all his pictures of his childhood. He looked around the room. "Man, I can't believe I'm actually leaving this place."

I sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, we're moving in two weeks."

His jaw dropped. "What? Why?"

"My aunt offered me a job up in Iowa."

"Aren't you going to miss it down here?"

"Yes," Ava answered for me. "I don't wanna go."

Mason looked down at her, and then met my eyes. "Sometimes in order to grow, we have to leave what we love."

We chatted a little more, but that quote has stuck with me all night.

This move is teaching Ava and I something. I just know it.