To My Tenth Grade English Teacher

Last week, the drummer in the band I sing with at church died unexpectedly– Obviously, he’s been on my mind quite a bit over the last few days. Primarily, I’m heartbroken for his family and close friends…. but I’m also really bothered by the fact that I never thanked him for what was, in retrospect, an incredibly selfless act. Although he wasn’t a member of my church, he played drums at least once a month during services and came to nearly every rehearsal. This meant he had to transport his drums, set them up, and take them down again over and over and over, which certainly wasn’t easy…

And I never bothered to pause for one moment and simply say, ‘Thank you.’

Well, that’s going to end. Now.

In memory of our drummer, I want to acknowledge the  people around me who are doing good things, or who’ve made a difference in my life. Each Friday, I’m going to write a letter on this blog thanking someone who has done some good. It might be a former teacher or it might be the lady in the deli at the supermarket or it might be a random person that I barely know. What matters is that they deserve to be acknowledged for their good works.

Not only is this a chance for me to show my appreciation, I also think it’s a great opportunity to show a little Google love. I’ve been writing this blog long enough now that much of what I write comes up pretty high in Google searches- I love the thought that someone searching on the Internet for this person’s name is likely to see a tribute to his or her good works. That really makes me happy.

And so, to that end, if YOU want to write a letter on your blog to someone who has done something worth acknowledging, send me the link and I will also link to your post here on Fridays, so that the Google love can be spread far and wide.

Now, without further adieu, my first Thank You:

To Frank Finsthwait, my 10th grade English teacher

Dear Mr. Finsthwait,

You might not remember me, but you’ve played a major role in my life and I’ve thought about you often over the years. I’m embarrassed that it has taken me two decades to thank you– but better late than never, right?

I transferred to Westminster in tenth grade, and it was a whirlwind of a year for me. I had never been in an environment where every single person around me seemed brilliant and talented and destined for greatness, and to say I was intimidated is an understatement. On top of that, my ninth grade English teacher had loathed me with a passion generally reserved for murderers and arch-conservatives. Although I had always loved to write, in a year’s time she’d managed to convince me that my writing was abysmal and that I would never amount to anything– and so I entered tenth grade English determined to just try and get through it as best I could.

My classes that year were all so much harder than anything I had ever experienced, and I was struggling to maintain even a B-average– So imagine my surprise when I got my first paper back from you and you had given me a 110.

A 110.

Twenty-two years later, I still  vividly remember the giddy, incredulous feeling of seeing that number and a big A-plus at the top of the cover page. I felt like I had won the lottery.

And it didn’t end there. All year long, you gave every single one of my papers an A+. You wrote notes at the top telling me that I was an amazing writer, and that I was clever and creative and that I had a bright future. Your enthusiasm and support made me feel like I could hold my own in that school-for-the-terrifyingly-brilliant.

You believed in me, and that made all the difference.

A few years ago, I came across the papers I had written in your class (OF COURSE, I saved all of them) and as I re-read the things you had written in the margins, I cried. I’m crying now, actually, just thinking about that moment. Thanks to you, in tenth grade I started to think of myself as a Writer, and it literally changed my life. I decided to major in journalism and writing has been at the core of every job I’ve had since college.

My writing has rewarded me in ways I would never have dreamed possible, but make no mistake–  I’ve also experienced many painful rejections. More than once over the years I have wanted to throw in the towel, but then I’ve reminded myself of what you wrote to me when I was 15 years old:

You are a talented writer!

You have a great future ahead of you!

Your writing is amazing!

Thank God I chose to believe you.

I want to thank you, Mr. Finsthwait, for your incredible words of encouragement. You were literally the pivotal person who convinced me that I could write, and I’m just sorry that it’s taken me so long to let you know it.

Sincerely,

Lindsay Ferrier

Westminster Class of ’93

 

Other thank you letters on the web this week:

 -Pam wants to thank Susannah, Cheryl and Kim