HISTORY

Anyone who has a memory of certain teachers has had the opportunity to find how those people have changed over time. I had a teacher of American History in my junior year. He had a nickname handed down from classes that preceded mine of Bobby D, teenage idol. He was a priest and we were seminarians, theoretically on our way to becoming one like him, and we were thrown together to see what would happen.

He was a priest, but also a human. That was a difficult concept back in those pre-Vatican II days. The world was different then, and I don't mean better or worse, just different. He was a guy who was in love with American History, especially the Civil War, but few of us really gave much of a dam one way or the other. We just wanted to get it over with. And he was quirky a kind of way most of us are, but in a way that drew the attention of teen age boys. So, many of us had fun at his expense, but behind his back. I don't recall any issues raised in class, but the lunch room was another story.

All this is to say I got a life lesson from him that serves me to this day, and hoodaeverthunk? He assigned us the task of bringing the Tribune Book Section from the Sunday paper in every Monday. And during that class period, the Revolution or War of 1812 or the discoveries of Lewis & Clark were set aside for the purpose of helping us discover what it might be like to live the life of a reader. Because we are all interested in something, not just the Civil War, he knew we could expand and enrich our lives by reading and discovering all the things we weren't learning in school. And at the same time we would be entertained. What a concept! What teaching! A man who thought beyond the curriculum, not in rebellion but in service to the point of the curriculum. After all, we have gone on to write 50 years of history since then, and my appreciation of it has grown significantly. But I remember today that lesson, which continues to be part of my life today all these years later. And I'm grateful.

When this occurred to me yesterday, as I was jolted or nudged by what I read in the paper I started to think about writing this and I remembered him. And I wasn't going to mention him, but as I write it I've been thinking he deserves the recognition. So I googled him. And I discovered he passed away in November at the age of 85, after having served his God and his parishioners after his teaching career ended. After all his calling wasn't to the classroom but to the Flock. He wasn't attached to any of the Church scandals and seems to have been a well respected man. There was a comment from another former student who obviously came after me and thought this was one of his favorite teachers. That comment calls me to remember many of my teachers and be grateful for them all, the good and the bad and the middling. At this point I can see how I learned from them. Different things from each to be sure and much more than was contained in the texts.

Today I can be grateful to them all and say, thank you. Your challenges and sacrifices are things I have deep appreciation for today. And in recognition of them all, Reverend Robert Dovick, Bless you and your life.

I hope to see you tomorrow on the topic of what I was jolted by yesterday.