I have a tendency to roll things around in my brain as I am driving down the road.   Yesterday, as I was in a hurry to get back to Shattuck, I was thinking about my substitute teacher.  I had told him that I would be back by 1 but now it looked more like 2:30.  Crap!  I was hoping that this wasn’t going to screw up his plans and then I was like, “Dang.  He wasn’t going quail hunting today.  His calendar is open.”  Then I got to thinking more.

I have only had one substitute teacher this year.  Same person, every time that I have been gone to a stock show, judging contest, leadership event, whatever.  It is great.  He is good with the kids.  The kids like him.  I like him.  I can let the shop kids go to work.  Paperwork–He takes care of it.  Kids bring entry money.  He handles it.  Work gets done.  It’s awesome.  Why does it work?  He is retired and comes from a generation that takes care of business.  Yeah, he might be a senior citizen.  But, it’s great!  As long as I don’t mess with Steve Care’s quail hunting, he is good to go.

This past October, I couldn’t go to the National FFA Convention, so my parents took a set of officers to get our chapter award.  The kids were in better hands with these people than if I went.  Mom and Dad enjoyed Indianapolis.  The kids had experienced tour directors.  Cool deal!

Last week, I needed help getting a couple of suburban loads of kids to the NW district livestock judging contest.  I asked Daryle Greer to help me out.  What’s better than a 34 year veteran of OK ag-ed to help? Nothing.

We’ve got a lady that checks in on me and the kids to make sure that we have the greenhouse in-line.  She might have retired from teaching, although she still comes around to teach the teachers, motivate the kids and then leave–on her own schedule.  It’s awesome.  Science fairs, greenhouse, robotics, tech ed, ag-ed–whatever.  What’s better than Sue Ann Schoenhals making sure that the Shattuck schools operate properly?  Her husband, who was not a teacher, also helps.  And helps whoever needs it.

The south side ACE hardware in Woodward is the only place in NW OK that uses more Sr. citizens than the Shattuck FFA.  And I love going to that hardware store.  The employees are friendly, helpful and I normally buy more than what I went to buy.

I had a couple of seniors that worked with me at Western.  We had to do some things to get around their “retirement” but it was worth it as they were great employees.  Work ethic does not have an age limit.  Kids need to be around attributes that make for good people.  I am happy to have people like this helping me and the kids.

And if you can’t tell.  Here in a few years or twenty, I’ll be working at ACE hardware.