'Can you hear me now??'

'How 'bout now??'

This past summer, I spent a good portion of it teaching a course to high school students. Before I started the course, I was nervous. I had never taught in that capacity and the idea of me being in that position frightened me but something in me was ready for the challenge. So I started the gig.

As the days went on, my nerves calmed and I felt what I was there to do. In my head, at least. I grabbed that bull by the horns and ran with it. I don't know what happened but all of sudden my head was flooded with ideas, lessons and various instruction. I was on a roll and loving it. The funny thing was that I didn't know how much I was loving it until the day came of our final show. I stood back, checked out the end product of all the hard work over the previous 4 weeks and was more proud than anything in my world. Even more proud than any of my own shows. It was as if I birthed this work and it was well on it's way to full maturity taking the high road to get there. I was beyond elated.

With that, I said goodbye to my students, wished them an awesome time on the remaining weeks of summer and sent them on their way hoping (above all hope) that I did a good job.

Soon enough, I received messages from a few students that helped to reassure me that I might have done a good job or made some sort of impact on them. At those moments, the happiness that I felt on the day of our last show came back to me ten-fold. I found myself smiling, giggling and in such high spirits. It was awesome.

Today, I received a message from another student who, in her message said, 'I was really nervous and I took your advice from the summer and the photos came out amazing'. Are you kidding me??!! I couldn't tell you what that did for me. That was the best thing that I could imagine hearing at this point in my life. I don't know what exactly I told her or what she remembered but whatever it was, I am so happy that I spoke. That I taught.

I know that when I was in school, there were many things that I heard but only a few things stuck. Since my time in school, the few things that stuck with me, I use in my life all the time. They are only a few things but they help me make decisions, calm me, reassure me, inspire me and the such.

To think that I might have said something to someone where it might do the same for them over time is one of the most incredible things I could imagine.

To think I had some sort of impact is out of this world.