meggyo's Weblog Site • NuTang.com

I've got to agree with Amanda in that Cindy LaCom, my college writing prof is one of the strongest person I know. Next to Mrs. Curry they are my idols. Teh amount that they both have, and hopefully Cindy still will continue for many years to affect soooo many people,. live life to the most possible and appreciate everything they have in spite of the health they don't have... is definitely inspiring. Watching Mrs. Curry pass away after her battle of cancer last year really made me question for the 3rd time in my life, "why do bad things happen to AMAZING people?" First it was my neighbor who had so much spinal surgery that they said that if she needed another one she wouldn't make it. All of her children went to prestigious schools on full scholarships and continue to be the top in their classes. The second person was my social studies teacher/mentor for two years, Mr. Gould who was diagnosed with testicular cancer the year I left Amehrst and was pulled away from his passions in life, runnin, coaching and teaching for almost a year. He was the most fit and energetic person I have ever known and for him to get cancer... was a shock. Then there was Mrs. Curry, who guided me, helped me push to bring the Yellow Ribbon Project to the school against the whole community, who inspired most of the people she interacted wtiha nd genuinely cared about all of them. I remember how she came to school in wheelchair just to finish "her students" papers, that was her goal. Now Cindy, a feminist, new historicist, teacher, friend, mentor... broadens not only the academic minds, but more I think, the personal and "open ur eyes to the world u live in" minds of those she interacts with. Already her life has impacted mine so much.. she got me to the honors program, made me change dorms to Bard where I met Amanda! and have air conditioning and a quiet study enviornment, has inpsired me to write tow of the best pieces of writing I have ever written my whole academic career, Mr. Gould would be very very proud! (I need to write to him). She has forced her students to look at history snd the world we live in from all sides, never making judgement before we understand both sides, even topics like prostitution in the west which is a topic no one would even consider to be of any importance if we considered the real side of it, not the Hollywood version. She has inspired me that our generation can change the things that frusterate me about our educational ignorance, and if not our whole generation, that I can change at least with my interactions with people I meet. Once again, as was the case wtih Mr. Gould, Mrs. Curry, everyone you talk to says, "oh man Cindy! Awesome teacher, really taught you how to think, worked you hard, great class" Today... she hobbled into class with a fractured vertebrae from her Chrone's disease medications that lowered the density of her bones. Trying to balance meds that nock her out and the pain, she forced back tears of frusteration that she could not teach how she wanted. yet even sitting in the chair, grasping onto every word with a single breath, she still made her jokes and sarcastic remarks. We were still able to converse about how personal experience influences how we take what people say, clashes of our cultures in our "contact zones." I just hope I don't have to say good bye to yet another incredible person yet. Please, do whatever you do to send good thoughts and energy to her... even if you don't know her, I'd really appreciate it.

Btw, the dude came and fixed my computer. It's a small world, he went to CD high school! I guess my Hershey football new articles pasted around my walls gave it away that I was from the same area. hehe.

Why do bad things happen to good people? I think it is to remind us what life is all about, to inspire us to make use of what we DO have before we lose it, to make most of a moment, say what you want to say, never hold grudges.. to remind us that while we have no power over how long life will be, we do have power over what we do while we are living it.