Just a nice summer evening

Wednesday (I think): I'm in timelessness mode. When I wake up, I don't know what day it is. At first. Of course, I can always consult with Paul, who is an aficionado of dates and times.

A few weekends ago, Liberto and I picked out new glasses at Lenscrafters. After a 10-day wait (seamless bifocals with transition lenses take more than one hour), they were ready. Today, after he finished work, we drove to the mall to pick them up. The sky was clear and blue, the temperature cool. It has been raining off and on for the past few days, but this evening was perfect. When we arrived, we learned that we needed to wait another hour for adjustments, so we decided to walk through the mall. We strolled along, feeling relaxed, and stopped at the Food Court for a snack to serve as dinner. As we ate, an enthusiastic voice said, "Dr. Agnew!" It was one of my smiling, recently graduated seniors who appeared beside our table. We asked about her college plans and talked for a few minutes. After we finished eating, we left to wander past the stores and kiosks. Thankfully, I was not ambushed by any of the Dead Sea cream salesmen who inhabit malls. Every mall I've been in during the past five years, from Arizona to Washington to Dallas to Atlanta, has had this same gimmick. I'm sure you know the sales pitch: a dark, exotic young man with an accent jumps out from a center kiosk and urges you to try some mystical cream made from seaweed from the Dead Sea, yada yada. They seem to target middle-aged women. It's annoying.

We ran into another student, a young man who was in my class during the 2006-2007 school year, who was all smiles and hugs. We asked him about his career---he works at Gulfstream, just as he did when he was a senior in high school---and now plans to go to Savannah Tech, where Paul goes. After meeting two of my students, I was filled with positive feelings, remembering that my relationships with almost all my Groves students have been rewarding. At least I have nothing to feel remorseful about, as many teachers should! I never disrespected them, put them down, or called them names. You wouldn't believe how many teachers treat students in ways I wouldn't want a teacher treating my son.

We lingered at a card shop and laughed at the hilarious political cards, then browsed through Barnes and Noble. We stopped at a cookie counter and bought some homemade cookies. By now, an hour had passed. After picking up the glasses at Lenscrafters, we started back. As we drove over the Ogeechee River on Abercorn Extension, heading towards Georgetown, we could see how swollen the river was, as it twisted its way through the green wetlands. Of course, Liberto was feeling lucky, so we stopped at the corner convenience store on King George Blvd. and bought a Fantasy 5.

"You know, I had a really good time this evening," said Liberto. I guess just because it was different from the usual routine.