Headmaster's Recommendation. Okay, so it is 30 years later...

The following was written by the Headmaster of my high school as a recommendation letter to the various colleges we seniors were applying to. I thought you might enjoy reading this.

HEADMASTER'S RECOMMENDATION

Over the several years Peter has attended this school, he has proven to be a good academic student with a natural flair for math and history. His academic work has not, it is true, begun to fully reflect his very great intelligence (Binet over 140) yet that intelligence has manifested itself throughout our institution in creative and infinitely helpful ways.

For Peter is the complete theatre person in our school. In its early years, when the staff was small and we lacked professional technical theatre people, Peter simply assumed (from the age of fourteen) all jobs relevant to those tasks. Peter had the keys to the school, Peter engineered the light and sound systems, and Peter purchased and installed the equipment our new institution was acquiring piece by piece. In between, Peter (who managed to be a full time unpaid worker as well as student) could always be counted on to take one end of a two-by-four, to rush on call to various offices and repair faltering audio-visual aids. It often reached the point that faculty would vie for Peter's services, and that administration would need to intervene to ask that they impose less upon his good will.

The good will has never failed to be present. Of limited economic circumstances, in a milieu of mostly surfeited students, Peter has never complained. He reflects perhaps his father's ministerial calling in that the only question of life he ever seems to ask is, "How can I be of help?" The help, always forthcoming, approaches, at times, an inspired technological genius. It flows from a bounty of kindness as well as a pure fascination with the use of carpentry, art and electronics to feed the world of illusion.

Nor has the academic mind been slumbering while the creative processes are deployed. Peter will turn up regularly as an articulate and concerned member of current events seminars and meetings. He listens keenly and translates the messianic ardors of his peers into the lucid pragmatism with which he views the world. The theatre technician would well become playwright, the printing machine expert would eventuate in a writer or publisher.

I would offer Peter as a solid student of great aptitude to any rigorous and cohesive academic community. His technical brio, incredible theatre know-how, and profoundly giving nature, however, commend him to such a community in which the theatre arts are a significant and professional part of instruction. For the truth is that Peter, a gifted, responsible and totally decent young man, has also already achieved an area of full professionalism.

(signed)
B. F. T.
Headmaster

So he thought I might become a writer. Now, thanks to this blog and the various comments I have received, it appears I might actually be able to write some words that other people would like to read. It just takes some of us a little longer to find our niche.

Why so long?

Well, writing took too much work, brainstorming, drafting, editing, etc., etc., etc. Now that I can see the benefit of putting in some effort (think delayed gratification), all of a sudden things that in the past took too much effort, now are not only possible, but dare I say a joy to work on.
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