Snapshot impressions

It’s now 12:23 am, so I’m going to just give you a tiny taste test, a few snapshot impressions of the last two days.

Valley Farm Public School

A cold day, the air so brisk my face feels like I’m standing too close to a bonfire.  Bright sunlight so when Sandra and I enter the school it looks dark, like the lights aren’t on, because my eyes are slow adjusting.  I see someone coming striding toward us like he was waiting for our arrival and I am stunned.  I was expecting Richard Reid, a middle-aged, thin, stork-like man with receding hairline, pale brown wispy disappearing hair and kind compassionate eyes.

Well, I got one thing right, the kind and compassionate eyes.  But I can’t even brag about that because I knew he really cared about the students at this school because we had exchanged a couple emails setting this up.

And we are shaking hands and I get such a good feeling from this guy and to be honest, for a flash my mind goes to my daughter, Emily.  (I can hear her groaning as she reads this)  and she’s probably totally right, but then I got it again in the library, watching him interact with the students, and the way that he did it was so natural, his goodness shining out and not in a goody-two-shoes way, but so organic, full of life.  That you couldn’t watch him for five minutes and not know how lucky this school is to have him as a teacher/librarian.  He obviously incredibly bright, forward thinking, urbane, compassionate, conscientious, not to mention, totally gorgeous.  And there is no way someone hasn’t snatched this guy up, but still, even as I left the school, I was wishing, just for a second that I lived in Pickering so I could arrange an accidental meeting and neither Emily or Richard would have to know that I was meddling. 

But lets be realistic.  I am 48 years old, and this is my very first visit to Pickering.  What’s the chances of me ever coming to Pickering again, let alone with my daughter?

Anyway, I left with that freckle of a regret, but that’s not all that I left with.  I left with the memory a great group of students, wonderful listeners with thoughtful questions.  I left with the memory of a strong handshake, an intelligent principal, and most of all I left with the memory of a student that spoke from the heart and broke mine open wide.

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Oh phooey… It’s 12:48 now and I wanted to say something about all of the schools, but I have a busy day tomorrow, three readings, ET Tonight, tentative evening plans, if I’m not too pooped.  I am going to have to be strict with myself and really do snapshot impressions, no matter how much I want to blather on.

Woodcrest Public School 

They were obviously expecting me.  A student host ( a budding writer to be and also the one who read a lovely introduction to my talk,) greeted Sandra and me and led us into the library where there was a lovely authors board with a hand drawn Porcupine and all sorts of Meg Tilly information.

AND… four students were decorating my name on a board with such care and exuberance that I needed to document it and Sandra (kind soul) got my camera that I had forgotten in the car, so here it is for all my bloggers to enjoy!

I had a great time at this school.  Two raucous, rowdy, fun-filled readings.  Which is amazing because I had been worried that I wouldn’t have enough energy, being so worn out from my bout of (what I thought was flu, but Don pointed out, was probably) food poisoning. 

We went into way deeper territory than I had expected with the older students.  It’s interesting how all the readings take on their own personality depending on who is in the room and what I feel needs to be said. 

I left with the memory of a beautiful green eyed woman with a soft sweater that matched her eyes.  She shared with me some of her reflections on this next phase of life that she’s already entered and I am about to.  What she said had such a true pure wisdom to it and it made me feel all hopeful and excited about what’s to come.

So, thank you to the Woodcrest students and staff, for embracing me and my stories so warmly.  You made me feel very welcome. 

One regret.  There were some of the kids in the younger grades reading that wanted me to sign bookmarks and they had to be cleared out because the next group was due to arrive and I said I would sign them for them before I left. 

I didn’t know that I had to leave right after the bell rang or I would miss my train back to Toronto which I couldn’t miss because then I’d miss the evening train that I had to catch to make sure I was in Guelph. 

As it was we zipped to the train station and arrived with only minutes to spare, the train to Toronto already in the station.

So, kids, if any of you are reading this, if you give your name and what class you are in to your teacher or Mrs. Packer, your librarian, she can email it to me and I’d be happy to sign a bookplate for you and send it back.

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Okay, I had big plans to write about my day today as well, but my eyes are starting to feel droopy, so I’m off to bed, and I’ll play catch up tomorrow.

Sweet dreams everybody.

Love, Meg xo

Posted by Meg Tilly on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 in Chewing the Fat