“Words to Live By” from Mr. Skinner

As Caroline and I have mentioned before, we are both teachers.  So here it is on a Friday evening about 4:00 and I’m still here at school, waiting until it’s time to take my son to the school dance.  Life of a teacher….right?!?!

As I’m sitting here, scrolling through the school’s newspaper, I come across the article recently written about the retirement of one of our teachers.   One thing to note about our teachers: Not only are we teachers, but we are “small school” teachers. How small? How about grades K-12 are all under one roof and graduating classes are 25-30 students.  Every teacher knows all the other teachers usually on a personal level. As well as knowing every student in grades K-12, and their parents…and every other family member!

That being said, when one of our own decides to give their last lecture and retire, it tends to touch some of us (at least me) more personally than it might have at larger school.  Especially someone like Terry Skinner, who has been a part of our school community for so long. Even when Mr. Skinner wasn’t a teacher in this district, his wife was. (Mrs. Skinner was actually my Kindergarten teacher.)  So his retirement has really made me think about him and what he has meant to this school.

There are many things about  Mr. Skinner’s style in the classroom that I did admire.  His expectations, knowledge, and his humor. But what I appreciate more is how he lives his life outside of the classroom.  He has traveled the world, going to many places that at this point in my life I can only dream about. He has even helped students plan grand adventures like trips to Scotland and Alaskan cruises that he attended with them as part of a Senior project.  His sense of adventure and exploration has been a part of my inspiration to live this “Lagom Adventure” life that Caroline and I have been sharing with all of you.

So in true Skinner fashion, he left us with just a few “Words to Live By” as he made his quiet exit from our building.  And as I sit here reading them, I realize that almost all of these quotes relate back to Caroline and mine’s definition of living a “lagom” life.  Hence, I wanted to share them with you (with his permission) in the hopes of inspiring you to live a healthier, fuller life.

Presenting Mr. Skinner’s “Words to Live By”:

• There’s no better thing than to lay your head on your pillow, worry-free and at peace with the world. Don’t do anything to spoil that.
• Don’t live for money, career, or fame. Make a Bucket List and Do that instead.
• Never forget that your life has a specific purpose. Living it is how you search for it.
• No Regrets.
• Fill your life with life.
• If someone offends you, forgive them and move on. Don’t drag chains of bitterness behind you.
• The color of skin means nothing. The intelligence of the mind is nothing.  The talent of the body is nothing. The personality is nothing. Everyone has a soul… and all souls are equal.
• If a door opens for you, walk through it. Take advantage of opportunities.
• Four years from now, you’ll be four years older… but you could also be four years older with a college degree, a career, a family, etc. Don’t just become four years older.

• Live to create, not destroy.
• The path before you has nothing but promise… don’t do anything that will stop your journey.
• Live for experience, not money. Instead, work for money…use money to live for experiences.
• Don’t let life live you, instead… live your life.
• Someday, you aren’t going to be who you are today… so be better.
• Quit copying off of others… be you.
• Work to live… don’t live to work.
• Live your life for those who’ll be there for you in the end, not for those who’ll forget you.
• Make things right between you and God… no matter what that costs. That peace is worth everything you can imagine.
• When I see you again, I may have forgotten your name, but I’ll remember who you were as a person.
• Drink lots of water.
• Guard your knees… some of us used to be great warriors, but we have taken an arrow to one of them.
• Always look each other in the eyes.
• Turn your phone off when you are talking face to face.
• Don’t talk about people. Avoid talking about things.  But spend your time discussing ideas.

Love you all…. Not in a creepy, stalker way, though.

Mr. Skinner