A couple of weeks back I was going about my business on a Friday night when I got an unexpected call from my friend Chris. “Are you seeing this moon?” he asked. The moonrise that night was stunning, and knowing that I was a photographer, Chris wanted to give me a heads-up in case I wanted to shoot it. “Thoughtful” is just one of the ways I’ve come to describe Chris over the last few years as we’ve become friends. Early on, we’d talk movies between meetings at the ward on Sundays, or during activities when he was in the Elder’s Quorum presidency. I’d learn about his hunting adventures or his experiences traveling all over the country for his sales job. But as I got to know Chris better, and watched him get called into the bishopric, the quality that became most obvious was how much he loves being a dad. Whether listening to him share his testimony in church, shooting the bull at some neighborhood activity, or sitting down to some fine BBQ at Holy Smoke, it doesn’t take long before Chris will bring up his family. I’m not sure I can name a better example of someone who is always thinking of others. (Funny enough, Chris’s profile came up in the Power Lunch schedule on the same day as our Facebook friendverssary, or whatever it’s called.)
I’ve had a lot of great teachers over the years, and I’ve gotten to know a lot of great teachers as I’ve crossed over to the other side of the desk. As I think about it, my friend Sam might represent the pivot point between those worlds. When we met at the University 32nd YSA Ward, Sam was teaching history at Davis High School, and years before I stepped in front of my first USU composition class, our regular conversations about life and the meaning of it all would feature insights from his day job. It was no surprise to learn that “Mr. Gibbs” was a popular teacher among his students—I’ll never forget one comic episode where one of his former students started attending our singles ward and struggled to call him by his first name. But however you know him, I’ve rarely come across anyone, teacher or no, who was so enthusiastic about his job. After my friend Sam married my friend Christy (a fun phenomenon that happened a lot during that stretch at the U32), they moved back East, where he did grad school and shifted into the administration world. A few years and a few kids later, eventually the path led to St. George, where Sam is now Principal of a charter school. Thanks to a well-timed route south on the way to Death Valley, I was able to add one of my favorite fellow teachers to the Power Lunch series last October. It was awesome to catch up, and learn about Sam’s exploits in Southern Utah, which seem to feature every bit of the enthusiasm he displayed years when I first met him. I’m sure Sam would be capable at most any job, but I have a real hard time imagining him outside the world of education. I’m guessing his former students would agree.
