Today's canvass involved three locations: Dolan Springs where I got to dance w the wolf-like pup of PC, Judith Lee. I saw my friends Archie, Julie and Perry and they were all thrilled to sign a page for me, Sharon Thomas, Miss Judith Lee, & Beth who has now announced she is ALSO running for Kingman School Board, now that her AZ House Rep. petitions have been filled. Picked up a two-fer and even a 3-fer and got a registration there as well.
A quick stop at Grasshopper Junction got me another couple of signatures and a chance to start planning an event for the Chloride community this summer.
Having helped one PC get their wings, or more correctly, their required signatures to be an elected precinct committeeman, I dashed home, completed my packing, shot west across the Golden Valley and tumbled over the western slopes of the Black Mountains & into the sight shown above. Unfortunately, that is an earlier shot, My phone malfunctioned this afternoon and I have no access to any actual photos from today, just yet.
In BHC I worked w another new PC get his page and we got to visit w one of the best people in Mohave politics, BHC's Michelle Arnett, the GOP PC of the 41 Riverbend precinct, right at the western most bend in the river. Ever the gracious host, Michelle brought me and Gerald Ross a soda apiece and had me autograph a copy of one of my books. What fun.
But the real moving part of today was tonight at the Mohave High School graduation ceremony.
Again no new pics of that, but here's a shot from last year:
Understand, this annual experience is one of my favorite religious holidays of the year. There is nothing more holy than the excitement of youth as they leap into their future. The joy of the night is a wave of energy that can boost an adult for days and is one of the most massive experiences of a person's life--their graduation and their graduation night. As a teacher I have made a point of catching this graduation every year since I started having former students graduate. You have to wait for four years to find out who made it and who didn't. So far nine years of students have graduated out of my ten years of teaching. Of those nine years, six times I taught the valedictorian or class president 6 times. This year two former students of mine were among the six tied for the honor. The mom of one of them cried w me and his dad's eyes beamed all the joy any heart could ever hold at the whole family's completeness of thrill of the moment.
As usual I cried a couple of times w joy at seeing or talking to a former students and at hearing their name called when they got their walk across the stage. As usual I got hugs all over the place and got to pose w some very sweet graduates in the milieu after the caps have been tossed and the auditorium floods the field for the hugfest. As usual I spent most of the time during the ceremonies wandering the aisles and embracing former students and parents alike ... and new babies.
Seeing my former students while running for Congress is even more moving. Tonight a former student registered to vote so she could sign my petition and former fellow teachers filled a page for Sharon Thomas on her quest to become the teacher who runs AZ schools. The biggest thrill from tonight, coincidentally came from someone in the very shot above from last year. The kid wide blue gown and prominent award, shown at center of this photo, is Aaron Marquez (not the LD candidate out of PHX w the same name) I taught two of his brothers as well. Aaron came up to me tonight and told me he has already completed his basics in college and started down the road to become a history teacher.
Day One:
170 miles
27 signatures for me, a page for Beth Weisser for School Board, 2 PCs getting their signatures, another 20 for Sharon Thomas, 2 registrations and a warm fuzzy welcome from the sweetest Star Wars named pooches on the planet. Hans and Lando licked me so much I may not need to shave in the morning, lol.
Tomorrow:
Parker & Yuma
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