In a typically inane but funny episode of “Seinfeld,” George
becomes upset when his girlfriend becomes friends with Elaine,
claiming that his “worlds will collide” between his private life ("Relationship George") and his separate life with Jerry, Elaine and Kramer ("Independent George"), producing a catastrophic effect. Here’s a short clip
from that episode:
Seeing this, I couldn’t but help to think about my
own life as a Catholic school
teacher and principal, where the “worlds” of my life have collided since
the very beginning. It was an August in-service as a 23 year
old first year teacher at Montgomery Catholic High where I met Diane Mayhan, a biology
and math teacher at the school. She became my wife ten months later, and over one hundred of our students attended the wedding. During the early years, we drove to work
together, prepared lessons until late at night, and experienced the joy and
frustrations of teaching together. Fourteen years later, our oldest son began his freshman year at that same high school where I had now become the principal,
the first of all four of my children to do so. I’ve taught three of my children
as juniors or seniors in theology classes. My wife now teaches Geometry at the
school of which I am headmaster.
If George is right, I must be a miserable wretch.
But he’s not. And I'm not! In fact, it’s been one of the great blessings of my life that my family
life and school life merge. When I go to athletic events, I don’t go just as
headmaster of the school. I go as “Dad” in support of my kids and the school my
children attend. I get to know
their friends in a way that few parents do. Their friends get to know me. We never have to worry about
synching vacation schedules. If I
want to know what the kids think about the new school policy, I don’t have to
go too far to find out, and if they don’t like what I’ve done, I don’t even
have to ask!
I’ve botched it a few times, such as when the football
coach benched my son at QB in the middle of the season and I said a few unkind
things about him and had to apologize on Monday. From the perspective of my
children, I occasionally say “too much personal stuff” to the teachers about
them, embarrassing them. (My son’s college entrance essay started “When your
father is the principal, every time he walks into the teacher’s lounge could be
a teacher-parent conference about you.”) But I’ve had some fun with it, too. I told my
teenage daughter she couldn’t date anyone until I checked his transcript and disciplinary file. She was not
amused.
I am beginning my 24th year as principal in a few
days, and my youngest son will be starting his last year of high school—just
one more year of the colliding worlds. Quoting the simple prayer of Dag
Hammarskjol, former Secretary General of the United Nations:
“For all that has been—thanks.
For all that will be—yes!”
