f Risking Everything For My Nemesis

Date: 9/10/2017

In dreamed about my 5th grade teacher. Anita Burge . whom I have not thought about since quitting school because of Miss Burge. To say our personalities clashed was grossly an understatement. The truth lie buried somewhere beneath her teaching style and my ability and willingness to learn. Miss Anita Burge was a relic of the Poplarville School back before " Separate But Equal " was ruled to be unconstitutional. Miss Burge, was my mother's 5th gade Teacher. she taught my older cousins, Elizabeth, Jimmy, and Dianne . Five years later she was my younger sisters 5th grade teacher. in the dream , the school system, was forcing Miss Burge into retirement. suddenly, I saw my nemesis In a different light. she was a spinster. Teaching 5th grade to the generations of students had been her life. Now some number crunching , pencil pusher had determined Miss Burge exceeded her usefulness. Her students were her children. Suddenly, The Superintendent and others decided Miss Burge should leave her children behind. Miss Burge, did not reach every student. Her military style insults and humiliation failed miserably with students like me. Miss Burge loved her job and she loved her students. She had demonstrated her ability to adapt and change, by the time, the first of my younger cousins reached Miss Burge' classroom the over whelming majority of her students loved her and were excelling. The School Board feared Miss Burge, could develop serious physical and psychological health issues.Because of her advanced age Anita Burge, would become a financial Liability to them and the state Insurance Company that covered all educators. in the dream, I found myself a senior in high school . I was risking graduation, senior priveledges to protest the forced retirement of a teacher I, once, would have personally burned at the stake. I could not explain why I was willing to risk anything for my nemesis.