Who I Am Essay

"We are shaped and fashioned by what [and whom] we love."  Goethe



        This initial writing about who I am reminds me of those dreaded introductions at social functions.   As an introvert, those gatherings exhaust me.   I'm more of a people watcher at those things than a participant.  I'd rather be with a few of my closest friends in a cozy spot instead of meeting people I don't "do life" with.  

       Maybe I don't like those initial introductions because I can't easily fill in blanks of the scripted conversations.  It goes something like this...

        "I'm (fill in female's name), wife of (fill in male's name) , mother of (children's name) and I'm a (fill in job title) at (fill in place of work).  And you are?" 
  

        And if I'm to follow that script, I would respond, "I'm Leslie Lucas, a forty-eight year old teacher at Hoggard High School." 

        Notice there's a couple of those blanks that I skipped.  Those blanks just haven't been filled in for me...yet. 

         I could add that I have a cat named Lucy (in honor of that girl who adores Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia) but that just perpetuates the old maid cat loving school teacher stereotype.  Not that there's anything wrong with that!

         That one comment about Lucy would be all it would take for them to hear about how much I love The Chronicles of Narnia and how I'd love to live in that book.  I would be polite and listen to their choice of book to live in, but I have a feeling that they would have moved on by that point.  I can't hide my weirdness for even five minutes.  So, you can see why I'm not a hit at large social gatherings. 

        Yep, I'd choose being in the woods with Aslan any day.

Amie and Mallory

      Usually, people hear the names Amie and Mallory in our initial conversations.  They are my nieces and the reasons I live moved to Wilmington nineteen years ago.    I've written in my welcome letter to parents and students that I aim to teach and to treat my students the way that I wanted my nieces taught and treated.  They know that I am for them...no matter what.  And they know I love them.  

      They have such a different sense of humor.  Even as children, they shared my sense of humor.  Scary.  



An older Amie and Mallory

        Ahhh...the beach.  

        My ideal summer weekday is to wake early on a sunny day, drive to the parking lot right before Shell Island and be the first one onthe beach.  I've stayed many days from 8:00 a.m. until 7:OO p.m.   I love having no plans except sitting on the beach, looking for shells, reading, and napping. 



More about Mrs. Maudie Finch later...