Man’s Crown of Distinction

Some of the most profound and moving people in our lives are teachers. Recently I was visiting a friend of mine that told me that she has written down every book she has ever read since she was in 6th grade. She told me that the inspiration had come from her 6th grade teacher that told her that, “Knowledge is Man’s Crown of Distinction.” Teachers are truly inspirational. They are in our lives for such a short time and can affect us deeply for years to come. This was certainly the case with me. When I was in 4th grade I had a phenomenal teacher named Sharon Brown at Freehold Intermediate School. Mrs. Brown came into my life at an exceedingly rocky time for me. She was this beautiful ebony woman that taught gym and whose presence was larger then life. Mrs. Brown protected me from the other students when I could not protect myself and one day she told me (as I walked down the hall) that the world was not black and white but made up of a thousand shades of gray--I never forgot that. Mrs. Brown made a huge difference in my life. Similarly, Alex has a wonderful teacher in his life. Her name is Mrs. McSweegan. Mrs. McSweegan has tirelessly worked to help raise Alex’s self esteem and help him with follow-through in his class and transitioning from one task to another. Together with Dr. Curtis (Alex’s strings instructor) Mrs. McSweegan is making a lasting impression on Alex; Impressions that will help him weather middle school. All of these teachers have one thing in common; they have taught us things that go beyond what can be taught in books. In their own special way, they have left their imprint on our souls. That is their crown of distinction.

Thank you Mrs. Sharon Brown (wherever you are). I still think of you often and can not listen to Candy Man without smiling and thinking of you.