All my life’s a circle,

Sunrise and sundown.

The moon rolls through the nighttime,

‘Til the daybreak comes around.

All my life’s a circle,

But I can’t tell you why.

The season’s spinning ’round again,

And the years keep rolling by.

It was a warm, spring day. I was gazing out the window, watching the clouds drift by as I daydreamed. The year was 1986, and I was a mere fourth grader. I can vaguely remember my classmates and me circled around our teacher who was strumming idly on his guitar. He was singing a song about happiness, life, and friends. Living in the ’70s had taught him about war and peace, love and hate. With us he shared friendship, peace, and the moral differences between right and wrong. To me, he wasn’t just a teacher; he was a role model, an inspiration. We were only kids, but he told us to follow our dreams, to be whatever we wanted, and to live life with no regrets.

I believed in him. He gave me self-confidence, motivation, and now a dream. It was then that I decided what I wanted to be – a teacher. I knew I could make a difference.

Looking back, I have to laugh, thinking I knew everything at the age of nine. But, there is also a certain truth to it. I had one thing right – I can lead my life wherever I want it to go; it is up to me to choose the right path … and that path was decided eight years ago.

Simple lyrics I learned in fourth grade meant happiness to me then. Now, hearing those same words, they mean the past, the present and now the future, and to me that’s happiness …

It seems like I’ve been here before,

I can’t remember when.

And I got this funny feeling,

That we’ll all be together again.

There’s no straight lines that make up my life,

And all my roads have bends.

There’s no clear cut beginnings,

And so far no dead ends.

“Circles”- Harry Chapin

Thanks, Mr. Spiro … –