I share this story as a gift to my classes every year just before Winter Break. Central to the story is my unique interaction with Ray Bradbury. With Mr. Bradbury passing this last year, I felt it appropriate to commit my three-decade long oral tradition to writing on my teacher blog.
I share this story as a gift to my classes every year just before Winter Break. It is an engaging tale that has proven to be as inspirational to others as the true events originally were to me. Central to the story is my unique interaction with Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451. This past year, Mr. Bradbury died, so I felt it appropriate to commit my three-decade long oral tradition to writing.
http://mathprojects.com/2013/0...exy-christmas-story/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chris Shore,

I appreciated your story, filled with ironies and purpose. Recently I concluded thirty-five years of teaching the English language to secondary students in a rural, far Northern NY district. Throughout the years of classroom experiences, no other author's works brought about more questions, comments, and emotions than those of Mr. Bradbury.

From Bodoni's wonderful gift of flight on the rocket to his children to Montag's escape across the river to a more hopeful future with the Book People, Mr. Bradury's works made students imagine, escape, and dream for themselves. In all of that time, his generosity to my students and family (as so appropriately reflected in Mr. Shore's article) was always far reaching.

The "Thank you, Mr. Bradbury", which concluded each letter sent to him, can now only be spoken or meditated. However, as this New Year begins, I truly believe he is still receiving the loving thoughts.

Exactly! Thanks, CS!:
"Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child, a book, a painting,a house built or a pairs shoes made, or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you’re there. It doesn’t matter what you do, he said, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that’s like you after you take your hands away. The difference between the man who just cuts lawns and a real gardener is in the touching, he said. The lawn cutter might as well not have been there at all; the gardener will be there a lifetime.

Wonderful story Chris Shore. You've done what Mr. B suggested that we all do, by passing his words - and the story of how your gift of them was returned to you by Ray himself - to hundreds of your students over three decades. That is moving.

A few years ago I called my old high school English teacher to thank him for introducing our class to Ray Bradbury's writing some 52 years ago now. It wasn't for another 26 years after that class that I wrote to Ray to thank him for the ongoing inspiration I found in his novels and stories, and was blown away by receiving a letter from him in response.

In the years I've been clicking on to this message board - and occasionally posting here - I've been amazed to read about some of the many others Ray reached out to, gave to them his words of encouragement. Your story adds to my belief that Ray's legacy and positive influence will continue to grow over the years, centuries, maybe even millenia. As more such stories emerge, we may come to appreciate more fully the greatness of the man we knew as author, artist, mentor and yes, friend. A "really good guy" indeed.

Thank you for another reminder of that Mr. S!

Walt Gottesman