Her students were called Gifted. But we all agree that the gift was that she was our teacher. She took us to Charleston, SC after teaching a unit on architecture. We went on a carriage tour and a visit to Drayton Hall and Fort Sumter. I would later get a college degree in Architecture, and that trip in 7th grade would make it easy to convince my wife and family to move Charleston 20+ years later. Class trip to EPCOT Center and MGM Studios in 8th grade? Yes please. (Not quite sure how she convinced Mr. Nettles to sign off on that.) I tried Moroccan food at The World Showcase with some friends for lunch. If I had a do-over for that day, I would have voted for a hot dog instead. But the rest of the trip? Perfect. She had us dissect the Billy Joel song We Didnt Start the Fire historical event by historical event. Now the song and her memory are inseparable. She also had us dissect sharks, which was a wholly different experience. But memorable as well. She helped us unpack the story of the Vietnam War. That gave a 13-year-old me a chance to connect with my dad, a Vietnam vet, in a way we hadnt before. He taught me about punji sticks, jungle rot, and the pain of watching friends die as we poured through his old 35mm slides, which we recorded onto some contraption hed bought called a camcorder. We chose Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones as the soundtrack. I learned that week how freaking cool my dad is. She taught us that we were not the pimply social outcasts that we perceived ourselves to be, but pioneers. (There may have been a unit on that, as well.) She helped us form our identity as men and women. If every child could spend three years with a Mrs. Wingate like we did, there would be peace on earth. Not because she was some divine creature (that we know of). But because theyd be so stinking caught up trying to understand the wonders of the world that they wouldnt have time to fight. God bless you, Mrs. Wingate. Your legacy lives on in a bit of all of your kids...and in our own.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 01:19:00 +0000
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