Saturday, March 20, 2010

Meeting Gary

In 2001, when I was 22 years old, I started my first teaching job. We were having orientation the first day and there was one guy we were still waiting for; Gary Chapman. Five new teachers were sitting around the table, waiting for this Gary guy. The vice principal called him and Gary said he forgot about it and he was painting his mom's house. He said he would come in for the second day of orientation.
Who was this guy? So irresponsible it seemed! It turns out he has subbed and coached there and already knew a lot about the running of the school, but how was I to know that? Def. not a guy I would be interested in!

(Yes, this is Gary's first year teaching picture. This is what he looked like when I met him)
I met him the next day. Now, not sure if you are like me at all, but at that age I would look at a guy and think, `Could he be my husband?'. I didn't rule him out but after an awkward conversation, in the video aisle of the library, where I asked him if he went to UBC (because I had and I overheard that he did PDP there) and he said `no' when really he had, I thought he was confusing and a little strange.

That afternoon, we set up our classrooms and I went down to his room to see how he was doing. We talked a bit and he made fun of me for not knowing much about Star Wars. He seemed friendly as he was going through years worth of the old science 8 teachers stuff in his classroom. He threw a few random items at me; shirts, posters etc. He was setting up posters around his desk, from when he was in grade 8. I then thought he was friendly enough and maybe not too strange. However, being that I was just fresh out of a long relationship, I wasn't looking for anything. AND, it probably wouldn't be good to date someone I was working with again.

That's all I remember from the first day.

6 comments:

  1. LOL! That pic is priceless :) Is it weird that I still look at guys and ask that?

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  2. Dana says to me, "Why would Gary say that he didn't go to UBC." I replied, "Why wouldn't he?" Great post. I laughed out loud.

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  3. Oh yes, I remember you and I were roommates at the time that you met him. I can say you definately were not interested in more for a while, good thing Gary was persistent!

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  4. Anonymous1:44 PM

    I totally remember that Gary from FVC!

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  5. I thought he was wearing a wig at first glance... ;) ...

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