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One In Particular.
May 2nd, 2008
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H
er name was Owedia Johnson. A wonderful woman. She was my English 111 professor in college.
At the time, I was a psychology major, and nervous about my first English class in 13 years. I was surprised that I did well, even switched my major to journalism, then English later.
I had a lot of one on one talks with Mrs. Johnson, who became sort of a surrogate mother, offering me advice on not only my schoolwork, but also women.
One of our first discussions was about the fact that I was a psychology major. She just asked if I thought I would be happy with that as a profession, but didn't give her opinion one way or another.
A year later, after I had switched to being a journalism, then English major, she told me that she had first started college as a psychology major, then switched to journalism, then English, the same as I had.
I always found that an extraordinary coincidence.
Over a decade has passed, and I have no idea if she is even alive anymore. I doubt it because she was 63 then and her health wasn't the best.
She meant a lot to me, and I would love to be able to talk with her again.
**********
Update---- This is a photo I took of Mrs. Johnson when I was on the student newspaper in 1989. Excuse the condition of the photo. It's scanned directly from a newspaper from May 1989. It accompanied an interview I did with her for the paper.
The best teacher I've ever known. I miss her.
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  | Posted May 8th, 2008 at 8:27AM Thank you so much for your comment, Edward. I envy your chance to reach those important to you. Sadly, I found out the day after my story that Mrs. Johnson had died on February 27, 2001. My girlfriend found her obituary and told me about it. She died in a nursing home at the age of 88, and was cremated. I do wish I would have had the chance to talk to her again. She meant a great deal to me. After I found out, I cried a while, then realized that I was so much better off for having known her in the first place. I feel her loss, but am thankful for her presence.   |
 | Posted May 8th, 2008 at 4:07PM (((Sweetie))) |
| Posted Jun 30th, 2008 at 5:02PM Over the seven years in the bookstore, I met many other special teachers. These were women and men who took money out of their own pockets to buy certain books for their students because there was something they wanted to share with them. I only saw that side of them as proof, but that was proof enough. With that dedication, it had to be just a trace of what they gave in other ways. +2 nods |
| Posted Aug 16th, 2008 at 8:46AM Well, Ciiel, I wasn't as lucky as you with some of my teachers. But Mrs. Johnson was the best. Undoubtedly, one of the sweetest women I have ever met. |
 | Posted Aug 18th, 2008 at 4:47PM I am a teacher... and stories like this mean SO MUCH to us. I wish you would have had the chance to share this with her. It would have meant the world to her. I know she knew she was a gifted teacher though because she really took the time to invest in her students educational needs, and life experiences. i hope to be half the teacher she is someday. +2 nods |
| Posted Aug 18th, 2008 at 5:00PM The fact that you care means that you are well on your way. After a parent's love, nothing affects a person's life more than a caring teacher. Thank you for caring, both about your students and enough about my story to comment. |
 | Posted Aug 20th, 2008 at 5:48AM Wading, great story; she sounds like a lovely lady. Teachers can make such a difference, especially when home life lacks someone to look up to. |
 | Posted Sep 16th, 2008 at 11:12PM i had a teacher in high school who is soo amazing how calm and collected she was her name was dee mcmillen she was my favorite teacher and i hope she is still living cause i just like talking to her also |
| Posted Sep 17th, 2008 at 7:54AM I hope Ms. McMillen is, too, Lacilove. I'm sure she would love hearing from you. I found a photo of Mrs. Johnson yesterday. One that I took for the college newspaper. It won't be good quality, since it's in an old newspaper, but I may scan it and add it to the story. |
 | Posted Sep 17th, 2008 at 8:06AM That is a great idea Wading. Please do. |
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