When I got up this morning I had a face and a memory in my head. I could very clearly see a former student's face and I remembered an incident involving the two of us.

Joe Rott was about 15 years old when I taught at Greenwood Academy. It was my first experience teaching juvenile delinquents. I'm not sure why Joe was in the group home. I seem to remember that he had been in and out of foster homes. I don't think he was there for something he had done but then my memory's not so clear on details.

He was a small kid with beautiful red hair. He was very quiet, not much on communication. Rarely smiled or laughed. He always seemed depressed to me but he had a sarcastic wit that I found appealing.

The memories I have of him are from two different teaching jobs. The first was during the summer at the group home. It was breakfast time and Joe was having a hard time getting out of bed. I was sent upstairs to see what I could do. I'm not sure how it happened but Joe was asleep or pretending to be asleep on the floor. I physically picked him up by reaching under his arms and bringing him up in the standing position. I'm not sure how I did that. I doubt I could do so today. I'm not as strong as I used to be. At any rate it was me who put him in the shower with his pajamas on. The next day it looked as if it was going to be a repeat performance. When it came time to get up, he would not budge for the house parent. When told he'd have to get up or else (I'm not sure what the or else was) he smiled and said, "Miss Hughey will get me up." And that's the way he was when I finally arrived at the house. It's the only time I ever remember him smiling.

The second memory was about 16 months later in another town at another school. He was a junior at Riverdale High School where I had stepped in as a substitute teacher and later as the CDC teacher. Joe was not in my class. But I saw him often enough at a distance. My memory of him there was in regards to his birthday. He made a point of coming up to me in the cafeteria as I ate with a table full of teachers and told me that it was his birthday. He really wanted someone to acknowledge to occasion. I don't remember what I said to him but I doubt it was what he wanted to hear. I don't recall that he smiled.

I'm not sure why the memories came to me this morning. I certainly had not thought of him in ages. What came to me this morning was that perhaps Joe was my teacher. He taught me to be a little more observant of people and that sometimes it's what you don't hear or see that should speak volumes. I think he might have taught me a little about change as well. I just wasn't so smart back then.

Surely there is another lesson I got from him that I've yet to think of. It's too much of a coincidence for me to think of him 18 years after I met him.