Even Here In God's Country

It certainly was a shock to see the headline on the front page of our newspaper this morning: "Teacher arrested on CSC charges." A 49-year-old teacher in our town was arrested on two felony counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct, with students. The man teaches computers in the middle school and his students are 11-13-years-old. DISGUSTING! While I KNOW things like this happen far too often, I was hoping we were different here.

Reading the article further, I suddenly realized I KNOW who this teacher is. He has been teaching locally for 20 years and taught band on both the middle school and high school level. He was my oldest's band teacher when she was in 9th grade. And the article implies that he is suspected of his 'extra curricular activities' for the entire time he has been teaching--which would INCLUDE the time he taught C. I NEVER liked the man from the first moment I saw him--I thought he was an arrogant SOB--and I could never figure out WHY I had the hate for him, because being an SOB isn't enough. But, I guess my radar was working very well again. I can't imagine the amount of stories that will be coming out in the next few weeks.

I always try to reconcile whatever is happening with the thought that 'everything happens for a reason.' I realize that I may NEVER know the reason for many things that have happened in my life, but this story helped me see the troubles we had with C in a different light. C hasn't lived here since she was in the 9th grade. I could never understand what we could have done to have our lives go in the direction they did and why we were 'punished' as we were. After talking to C about this teacher, I see a possible reason why she was 'taken' away: this teacher seemed to be 'grooming' C to be one of his 'special' students. As it was, she was his favorite the year he taught her--and I always thought it was because of her musical gifts. He was planning to put her into the jazz band the following year--the first time there ever was a flautist in the jazz band--and he had already named her drum major. (The drums majors were his favorite, special pets.) She managed to escape the possible horror that could have been had she stayed here throughout her high school years. I shudder to think.

And C said he NEVER tried anything with her, for which I thank the Lord above in a very loud voice.