We all have regrets. There are places we'll never visit, art we'll never see, people we'll never meet, dearly loved relatives and teachers we'll never talk with again in this world. Like that sappy old pop song says, "I always thought I'd see you again." In the case of George L. Meshke, I always figured that I'd look him up sometime when I was in Yakima.
Of course, George was the best and most challenging high school teacher I ever had, and of course I never valued him as much as I should have.
Beyond teaching us English and Drama, he provided a refuge for a group of '60s high school kids who needed somewhere to focus their energies, somewhere away from difficult home lives. George was always gentle, always thoughtful, and always demanding. He set rules and expected us to follow them, when other teachers on the same campus just hoped we would do the assignments and leave them alone. And he always opened up new vistas for us, by assigning extra work, by developing new ideas, by being willing to face up to the school board when they worried we were getting into plays that were too modern for our own good. For some reason, the board found "Marat/Sade" to be dangerous, while it beamed approval over our production of "Auntie Mame," with its drinking, smoking, and discussions of free love.
Eventually a parent in the Federal Way school district demanded that George be fired, because he was sure that George had to be gay. I wouldn't know -- George's sexuality was never any of my business. George went off to teach at Yakima Valley Community College, and to amass honors from national and international organizations. I should add that he eventually added a PhD. to his name, and that he was richly appreciated by generations of students and audiences.
The inspiring teacher we always called Uncle George died in June at University of Washington Medical Center. I hope to God he wasn't alone, and that the people who were with him cherished him more than this student knew how.
And I also hope that if you have a teacher in your past who inspired, sheltered, and challenged you, that you send him or her a card, or call, or stop by to see if they need anything. We always assume we'll have the chance to do that later -- and someday our assumptions will be wrong.
Once you've done that, go teach someone something.
It sounds as though the world has lost another wonderful soul. Thank you so much for sharing. I've always felt teachers to be a grossly under-appreciated, but reading this really reaffirmed for me the importance of reminding people in your life that they are important. I try to remember my own experiences, and stories like this one whenever I begin to feel self-conscious or take those "teacher's pet" jibes to heart. It only takes a minute to change someone's life forever. Hope you're doing well. And just in case you don't know, you are an important and appreciated person in my life. <3
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