I was thinking about someone the other day, someone that I hadn't seen in mabe, oh, I don't know, 12 years. Someone who Impacted my like in a very positive way, although not too directly. He was my 7th grade science teacher, and was one of my top two favarite teachers I ever had.
I googled his name, just to see what he was up to nowadays, and what I saw horrified me. It was like a bad dream, only in real life, there is no sympathy in a nightmare, and when you get you're heart sunken and you're in a state of shock, there are plenty of others there that are willing to pour salt in the open gash and jst keep kicking and kicking as long as it's entertaining for them. I still haven't recovered from all of the damage, and the sad thing is, is that there is no one out there that truley understands how tragic the situation really is, which is why the salt will unfortunately continue to pour.
What I saw that horrified me is one of those things that makes a tough man cry. Something I can't find the words to so much that my fingers tremble as I type this. The feeling I had in my stomach after reading the news was the same as my racist grandfather calling me a n***er (I'm half black and half white), or the feeling I had in my stomach when i found out that Chris benoit killed his wife, 7 year old child, and then himself, or the same feeling I had in my stomach when 9/11 happened.
I read that Mr. Trosell (Peter Trosell) and Juliette Pelitcas were involved in a motorcyle accident due to a completely out-of-charactor action taken by Mr. Trosell, that resulted in the death of Mrs. Pelitcas. Both of them were teachers, and Mr. Trosell was my science teacher in 7th grade.
Mr. Trosell was a phenominal human being, one of the best people I have ever had the privelege of knowing. I'll tell you right now, straight up, I have been through hell and back multiple times in my life, and it is not easy to gain respect from me, allthough I am a highly respectfull person in terms of my demeanor. Mr. Trosell is someone that I greatly respect to this day. I'll tell you, It takes an extremely, extremely special person.
I had a 4th grade teacher named Mrs Larsen. I don't mind saying it here, but when I was in grade school, I had an up hill battle, to say the least. I had, not 1, not 2, not 3, but 7 different learning dissabilities. 1 learning dissability is enough to see that one kid in class have to get up in the middle of class and go to another class of 3 kids so he can learn basic skills that other kids already know. I had small motor skill problems, large motor skill problems, When someone gave me directions, I only remembered 30%, even simple things. Whenever I read something really slowly, I'd forget everything I read right afterwards. I had speech problems, so I'd have good Idea's in my head, but I couldn't get them out very well. I had severe sensory perception problems (I couldn't tell the difference between 5 feet and 10 feet) so I basically couldn't tell distance at all. I'd shoot a basletball, and to me, it looked like it was going to go right in, swish! But to everyone else, It was an air ball about 5 feet away. I hadt extremely touchy sense of tough, so i didn't like to touch anything. I couldn't do well in anything physical, and I couldn't do well in anything academically. Over time though, mu doctor said that as long as I exercise my brain and the older i get, I should get better.
In the middle of my 4th grade class, I had about 3 or 4 other classes I had to go to for other LD related things. I had LD class, I had speech class, I had ocupational therepy ect.. Ofcourse, I couldn't remember what time these classes were no matter how many times I was told, so I had paper clocks taped to my desk with each class' name on it, so I could compare the hand signals to the real clock when It was time to go. It didn't work, I'd still forget. It was apparent to the other kids that I was "retarded".
One thing though that was apperent, was that I was actually intelligent, but it was just my learning dissabilities interfering (I wasn't actually "retarded"). I solved math problems in my head when it was manditory to use a pencil and paper, and I could read like the wind blew, but I just couldn't remember what I was reading.
Well, Mrs. Larsen actually bought me tickets so I could take swimming lessons and improve my coordination. She would even come over to the house on her time off and help me with some of the video's I had to watch to help my physical and mental learning process. One time, when the kids at the end of the year would gather in an assembly at the gym to wtch a few select students recieve academic awards, She actually mad an award up just for me called "most improved dodgeball player". I'll never forget it. Mrs. Larsen was a great teacher and is an awesome human being.
The thing is, is that you have to do alot of things differently to adapt when you have Learning dissabililies. You have to do things your own way, so then, you can do the things that others can do, you just have to have your own way of doing it. However, if your dissabilities were to ever go away, now you have TWO ways of doing something that others only have one, and it can actually work to your advantage over time. A learning dissability can actually make you smarter if you are somehow ever able to overcome it. I had 7 of them.
I was homeschooled for 6th grade by my mother, who didn't think I'd ever survive in middle school, where you had to actually change classes by a schedule. The next year for 7th grade, I decided that I wanted to go back to regular school, but the teachers and administration along with the board of ed wouldn't let me off the hook that easily. They said that I had to undergo extensive one-on-one testing with a professional (Like an IQ test), and only if I passed, could I go to 7th grade, if not, it's back to 6th grade. Well, I scored 130, when the average was 100. They told my mother "whatever you taught him at home, it worked wonders!". I was off to 7th grade.
It was here that I met Mr. Trosell.
Mrs. Larsen was great. I put Mr. Trosell right up there with her. That says alot.
I only brought up my experiences with Mrs larsen because I wanted to create a clear perspective of how much respect I have for Mr. Trosell for comparing him to her.
Now, I have to describe Mr. Trosell.
Where the hell do I even begin........
I can't even possibly "sum up" my experiences with Mr. Trosell, but I'll do my best.
First though, let me describe myself today. Today, I'm a high school graduate, and have attended college (the only reason i didn't finish was to help my parents out with daily life, they needed it more than they realise). I'm a great athlete, and have gotten myself in great shape. I became bigger, faster, and stronger than my peers, and today I am 25 years old and work as a certified personal trainer, helping people from all walks of life and changing their lives by teaching them the lifestyle (yes, it is a lifestyle) of exercise and fitness. I no longer have any disabilities. I can write full paragraphs (obviously), and I can communicate great idea's. Not only that, but I have communicated Idea's that are so great (don't mean to brag) that I have left many people 30 years my elder stunned. I have 150 IQ, am a very deep thinker, and most people I know call me the smartest person they know, and can't believe that I had any kind of learning disability (unless I make an avrage, human mistake). At a few of my jobs I was known as the best and hardest working person there, and would often be relied on to complete the most difficult of tasks. I'd have friends just blurt out phone numbers very quickly, and I'd remember them weeks later without ever have written it down. My short term memory is bad, but my long term memory is phenominal. Once I remember something, I remember it for life. I remember when I was one and a half years old. I've asled some of my college professors questions that they didn't have the aswers to about the subjects, and then I'd later find solutions that they themselves couldn't figure out. The best thing, is that I remember every single situation I had when i had my learning dissabilities, and now I can describe, compare, and contracst, so as to relate to other children with the same problems. I can communicate to other people that children with Learning dissabilities are smart, and have great idea' and thoughts, but just can't get it out. when you talk to them, you'll often see them thinking. pay attention to their eyes. I don't say all of this in a boastfull manner, but I just want to illustrate just how far I've come, and there are 3 people in my life that each individually gave me a "kickstart" that allowed me to grow: My mother, Mrs. Larsen, and Mr. Trosell.
Anyway, It was time for 7th grade, and I met Mr. Trosell (I don't mean to go on and on here, but please tolerate me, as I need to get this off my chest. Please understand.)
Here was a guy, 6'5, a full, dark beard, medium length hair, and bright blue eyes. He looked like Jesus Christ. I said "oh great, this guy is going to be my new science teacher". I didn't know yet that he would become a guy that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Mr. Trosell was ( I only use past tence because I haven't seen him in a decade) an extremely intelligent man. I would later realize just how intelligent he was the older I got, and more importantly, how great of a person he was, based off of the lessons that he tought us, that we might not have fully understood then, but understand now.
He stood for right, justice, and all that, yes, but he was also victor. What I mean is, have you ever heard the phrase "nice guys finish last", well, Mr. Trosell was a nice guy that finished first every time. As a matter of fact, he squashed the competition. He'd never break or bend rule, as a matter of fact, he'd be the one making them. He'd make you give another kid a compliment if you said anything mean to them, then he take you out after class and explain why he did that. he was a science teacher that was likable, and therefor everyone wanted to know what he had to say, students, teachers, principals, everyone. He never had to holler because everyone wanted to listen to what he had to say. If he said anything negaitve to you when you were troublesome, you took it to heart that he said it, a factor that other teachers lack, they'd be described as just "mean", but If it was Mr. Trosell, the kid would acually change their ways, he'd make sure by asking the next year when he saw you.
He'd tell the class that when he was a kid, and still to that day presently, that he had small motor skill problems and big motor skill problems (ofcourse I took notice, I still suffered from my Ld's then). he'd say that he can't do "this or "that ( I can't remember exactly what he said), and he'd make jokes about himself with it, but then he'd perform a function that takes great motor skills, like a karate kick, as he knew karate.
Every once in a while, he'd perform magic tricks in the middle of class, making things dissapear. He'd put glass bottles into a paper bag and the just crumple it and the bottles were gone and then he'd just continue his speech. He was notorious for never giving away the secrets. One time, for reasons I don't know, he showed a kid his tricks.
He once stopped class and pulled a desk up and sat on it, and played the harmonica with a song to entertain us. Another time, he did the same thing, only he pulled out an acoustic guitar and played us a slow contry song. After this, one student said "everything you say you can't do, you're good at".
It was later that I realised what he was teaching. He was teaching us that even though you might have things about you that put you at an extreme disadvantage, you can not only acheive great things, but acheive greater things than most people period. You can use the strength and determination needeed to survive your disadvantages to your advantage at other things.
He had aquariums all around the class, with snakes and tiranchulas. He took this giant spider out every once in a while, and told us It's likes, it's dislikes, it's bodylanguage, It's name, what it's bodylanguage means for both happy and sad, ect.. He'd have us move our desks all around the classroom, forming a big "U", so that he can let the spider loose, and It would walk up to each and every student and stop, allowing you to look at it. We all got attatched to the spider. I didn't know why he would take class time out to do that.
He was teaching us that even though something may appear to be ugly, it has the same inner beings that you and I have, and can be enjoyed if you get past your pre-concieved notions of it just because of it's appearance, and thus, needs to also be taken care of and treated like you and I.
One time, he snuck the class outside, literally hiding behind the walls at every corner, so that we could all go outside and play flag football, along with him, who the entire class took joy in tackling untill he was too tired.
He wasn't teaching us anythng here, just fooling around. He also told us that the reason why he came to school with a red face with sunglass tanlines was because he was riding a harley trying to look cool witha bandana and sunglasses, and he got sun burn, some funny times.
the kids took him so seriously and liked him so much that he was able to teach an entire months worth of sex education without a single giggle. he even showed us footage of un-edited child birth, but he would hold up in front of the TV screen a yard stick with a giant blue dot attached to it whenever there was a graphic piece of footage, like child borth. that's the only thing the kids laughed at, was Mr. Trosell's humor with the blue dot.
There was an English teacher that I believe was new there, and she was next door, named Mrs Pelitcas. She was a very shy, sweet person (they both were). A rumor had begun throughout the school that the two had started dating. I remember on halloween that Mr. Trosell had his face painted, and he said that Mrs. Pelitcas did the fine artwork. Everyone was wondering why Mrs. Pelitcas was over Mr. Trosell's house painting his face at 6:30 in the morning. I think that's how the rumor started.
The last time I saw mr. Trosell was mabe 8-10 years ago. I was walking up the street a few years later and a car pulls up and It was Mr. trosell, saying "hey". he wanted to see how I was doing and everything, making sure I stayed out of trouble (I was never really in any, other than one time, and he was my diciplinarian), It was a cool little catch up talk with a former great teacher. it was the last time I saw him.
It's awefull what happened, and FOR IT TO HAPPEN TO THEM, OF ALL PEOPLE. Mr. Trosell was an extremely responsible person and was not impatient, but he did have coordination disabilities. But from what I know, he had been riding bikes for atleast 12 years and had never even had so much as a ticket. I highly doubt that him, knowing his own dissabilities, would make such a risk like that, he just didn't seem like that kind of person, and It's hard for me to take it when I hear people using him as an example of someone being an "Idiot". You don't know the people involved or the curcumstances.
It's alot higher of a possibility that he misjudged either the distance or the immediate future of of the atmosphere, and made a turn just a little too wide, and then tried to fix the situation using a little too quick of thinking, which is never good, especially with someone with motor skill problems.
he probably had the confidence to take her on the ride due to his two decade long clear record. It's a shame. Mrs. Pelitcas didn't deserve to die, especially in the way that she did, and Mr. trosell dosen't deserve to live with this nightmare of a burden.
Mr. Trosell, wherever you are, I'll be praying for you. Thank you for the inspiration that you gave to 100's of kids and for likely making them better people, and truely caring about us, I know that you made me a better person and I remember all of the life lessons that you tought us. God has a plan for you, and all though I don't know what it is, and that you have to suffer this horrific tragedy along with the family of Juliette Palitcas, I will continue to pray that he reveals it to you, and that you are able to walk the path that he has put forth. always remember that you have saved many more lives than any that you may be responsible for, and I wish that there were more teachers like you. You make the world a better place to live in, and If more people were like you, we'd be doing pretty darn good.
) and I don't pass on the shoulder.
