Danbury, North Carolina, Lawsonville, North Carolina, and New York City, New York
My mom texted me last night to let me know that her high school classmate and my biology teacher, Mr. Phil Ring, was on his deathbed. She texted me again with the news of his passing today. When I glanced at my Facebook feed, I saw an overwhelming outpouring of love and remembrance from many of my North Stokes people about his crazy teaching antics, his zest for life, and his passion for teaching.
Mr. Ring was my teacher in AP Biology, but I had known him much longer, from growing up in Snow Hill United Methodist Church. Phil was a member of the congregation, so I had known him for a long time before he became my actual teacher. His penchant for a practical joke was legendary, and I was thankful that I was never the target of any, although I’m sure that I helped him with a few.
When I was a senior in high school, I had the chance to go on my first trip to Boston and New York City. Mr. Larry Evans, my US History teacher, organized the trip, and since Mr. Ring was one of his best friends, he came along as a chaperone. As for me, I sold a lot of candy bars to make this trip happen, and to this day, I am very thankful for the chance to visit all these new locations. I’ll try to write about this trip again in the future, but this post focuses on a specific experience with Mr. Ring.
When we were in New York City, the entire North Stokes group was hanging out in the original Macy’s Department Store. I walked around a little bit, but shopping in a department store is not what I had in mind for fun that day. I happened to catch Mr. Ring, Mr. Evans, and Mr. Evans’s son, Michael, as they were about to head outside. They invited me to come along with them across the street to Woolworth’s. I know we went from one store to another, but Woolworth’s was famous for their lunch counter, so we all sat down and ordered a milkshake. Chocolate is not usually my milkshake flavor of choice, but for some reason, I can remember that it was what I ordered almost 30 years later. Although I was there with a father, his son, and the father’s best friend, I just appreciated being included in the group. We talked some, laughed at jokes, reflected on the trip, and mostly enjoyed just being in each other’s company. Although I got to see many new and interesting things, sharing a milkshake with the three of them is one of my favorite memories from that trip. Looking back, it is special that we had that opportunity, as Woolworths went out of business just a few months later.
Life is fleeting. My mom was telling me that they were just about to celebrate their 50th high school anniversary, and she was wondering how quickly it all seemed to happen. Finally, I do not think that I have any photos from that trip to Boston and New York, so I went looking in my old yearbooks. I found this great quote from Mr. Ring printed in my Junior Yearbook. “I always learn from my students and I believe this reciprocal teaching-learning experience gives me and my students a better understanding of life.” That is very true, and to Mr. Ring, thanks for being an excellent example for me as a teacher.
Well written Stephen.