Principal Perspective Turns 100! (09-29-08)

Have you ever had a vehicle that was approaching some milestone in mileage - perhaps one-hundred-thousand miles? Did you find yourself looking forward to seeing all those zero’s line up behind the first number? And then did you forget, for just a minute, and when you remembered to look at the odometer, you saw100,001?

That is the experience I just had. I knew that I was approaching a milestone of sorts for myself as a writer: 100 Principal Perspective columns. I wrote a retrospective after my first year because I hadn’t missed a column in all that time. During this last year, there were several weeks during which I did not produce a column, so using a yearly milestone no longer seemed to fit.

But one-hundred columns…now that seemed an accomplishment worthy of a mention. Thanks to computers I don’t have to count my work. The electronic folder I keep these stored has a handy little counter right at the bottom. A few weeks ago, I checked, and was proud to see it read, “98 Items.” Then, I forgot, and tonight I looked with shock to see the counter read, “101 Items.”

Sigh. I was so looking forward to making my 100th column about writing 100 columns. Of course, it isn’t the end of the world, and I am still proud to say that my little writing project has turned 100, give or take a column or two.

Looking over the columns I’ve written since my last retrospective brought back many memories, some happy, some very sad. In fact, the last fifty or so columns documents my first year as an Elementary/Middle School principal. I wrote a lot about junior high sports and what those athletes taught my about winning, losing, and sportsmanship. I wrote about new experiences such as leading inside recess and being a substitute teacher in a kindergarten classroom. The time span also included some personal reflections over my daughter playing organized school sports, my mother passing away, and my wife and I celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary.

I hope these last fifty columns have seen me grow as a writer. The articles I wrote about my mother and father certainly elicited the most heartfelt responses, and the kind letters and emails (and even a phone call or two) inspired me to keep writing.

In fact, while I am proud to have stuck with this (even when I found occasion to take a week off here and there), the credit does not go entirely to me as a writer. I would give most of the credit to you, the reader. If not for the weekly words of encouragement, I doubt I would have kept with it so long and for so many columns.

I’m just glad that people seem so taken with my little perspective over career and life. This has become a weekly journal of sorts, and one day I plan to re-read all I have written, to remember and to reflect.

In the meantime, thank you, dear reader. As long as you keep reading ‘em, I’ll keep writing ‘em. I’m sure I will find something worth writing about for the next 100 Principal Perspectives.