There are certain people in life who make an impact on us, without realizing in that time frame. No matter how short of a time, or how long, they were in our life. Years later, we are going about our day and an experience comes up where we find ourselves thinking,”Wow, this person told me about this exact situation and here I am experiencing it and following their advice. They were right.” These words and memories that play out in our heads, give us confidence in those life situations where we need it most. There are many people in my life who I often think of and appreciate their existence, especially those who are no longer in my life. I look back at all the memories and it’s pretty awesome. But the difference here is that there are some people that come into our lives and they mentor the fuck out of us, lol. They shape us and play a vital role in certain characteristics and beliefs that we possess to this day.
I had a teacher in elementary school. His name was Mr. Carrier. He was my 3rd grade teacher and he would make the class get into groups and have each of those groups read a specific book. After the book was read then he would have us collectively choose our favorite part And.. Then.. He would have us act it out in front of the entire school assembly. It stood out to me, even at such a young age, that no other classes were acting out plays in front of the whole school. We would do this at every school assembly. His dedication to this prompted my passion for plays from 3rd grade-9th grade. It allowed me to express my self, to learn how to pronunciate and be heard, and it gave me confidence.
Mr. Carrier taught me that it doesn’t matter who finishes first. It doesn’t matter how long you take, it matters how hard you try. This is exactly what he would tell us as we took tests in his classroom. I find myself— to this day— remembering the importance of putting forth effort and taking my time. Because he was right. Do not compare yourself to other people. Their speed is not your speed.
One of the memories that took to my heart was when Mr. Carrier told me that I had a gift for writing. He told me that as he read my work he would “laugh out loud.” He always made a very special point to make sure that people’s strengths were noted.
There were so many things that Mr. Carrier taught me and some of those things are my favorite things about myself! He had a “tough love” kind of Ora about him that made him a bit intimidating & he also had very hairy arms.
I would like to say a very special thank you to Mr. Carrier for giving me confidence at such a young age, for making sure I was aware of my strengths and gifts, for giving tough love where it was needed, no matter how hard that was. Most of all, thank you for caring about your students. I’m sure all of those students were impacted just as much as I was. You helped to shape and form those children. Hopefully, one day this article will reach you. 🙂
Thank you to all parents, mentors and teachers. You make a difference.
Everyone can make a difference. By sharing the experiences we go through and by lifting others up with love.
Who was your favorite teacher?
-Shauna
Ideas and Advice for How To Live a Joyful and Empowered Life. 