Well, it's all over for English 1080 for another semester. I hope you enjoyed yourselves nearly as much as I enjoyed teaching you. Final grades are in, of course, and it always weighs heavily on me no matter what the grade is. At this point, there's no point in me explaining anything. There were several A's in each course and a very small number of failures--but all of it was earned. I was pleased, in the end, with how many students wrote their best work of the entire semster on the final exam.
My hope is that you not only enjoyed the course, but that you will take something forward with you. English, to me, is a way of talking about so many other related subjects. For me, it's always about the people I'm teaching; it's about the people who wrote the stories and poems, and it's about the people represented in the stories and poems. It's all about life. It's all about understanding ourselves and each other and, in that regard, we've all got a long ways to go. The difference is, I suppose, some of us want to go there while some of us don't. It's just a fact that, in life, sometimes, in order to get somewhere, you have to take the journey one step at a time. Many of you did that successfully, while others tried to skip steps or sincerely didn't comprehend which steps to take. The main thing is to try and to do, which most of you did.
I hope to see many of you around in future. I've already encountered quite a few of you in the malls or downtown while I was out shopping for Christmas, and I always enjoy it, especially when you greet me warmly, with a smile on your face. That's far better than the alternative.
I'll be off from teaching for the next few months. There are quite a few things happening in my life, not the least of which is a new novel coming out, adjudicating a literary competition and performing assorted other duties related to writing and publishing. I'll be doing the occasional reading or booksigning and would love to see some of you there, just to say hello. You are always welcome, wherever I might be.
If you're interested in keeping up with me and my blogging, just click on the "A Kick at the Darkness" blog on the right hand side of this one and bookmark it. There's a website too at www.gerardcollins.ca. So, yeah, all kinds of ways of keeping in touch. I've heard from quite a few of you by email, and that really means a lot to me. But even if I never hear from you again, some of you will remain in my heart and mind for a long, long time.
It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you.
May life be kind to you.
And, yes, regardless of your religious persuasion or lack thereof, have a peaceful and happy Christmas and a great 2012.
All the best,
Gerard
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