School Teacher's Pride . . .

. . . And Then There's Perks

It pays to be a schoolteacher. Yes, one can live well - sometimes - on a teacher's salary, but that's beside the point. The real pay comes in the pride one can take in knowing she or he has provided any number of children a future. And that's so important but not my point in this blog.

Back to salary. A good teacher will eventually command that financial status on which she or he can live quite comfortably - some even get to the point of being rich - repeat - some.

But along the way there are perks. One is that with the title of teacher or retired teacher, one can get a discount on a motel room and meals and other things. (These days it would be nice if a teacher could get a discount at the gas pumps but alas . . .)

This week another perk popped up - quite unexpectedly. This blogger and Lady B, armed with season tickets to a concert by the Southwest Symphony, took along Geezerguy and Yarntangler to hear the concert, along with a checkbook to buy $30 worth of tickets to get the duo inside the doors.

At the entrance, a genial ticket seller asked, as I put pen to checkbook"are either of your guests scholteachers?" I quickly answered my"my daughter was a teacher in the California gold rush area and in the 1880's Town in South Dakota."

The ticketseller raised eyebrows and on learning that was in tourist attractions, she sort of declined until Yarntangler anounced she actuallly was a retired teacher from Massachusetts. She was handed a complimentary ticket and I was told "now you only have to pay for her husband."

"Whoa,"I said mentally to myself and then anounced "my wife is a retired Hobbs school teacher." Lady B promptly was handed a complimenary ticket. Quick-thinking me than declared "Well, I'lluse my season ticket and turn Lady B's season ticket over to Gezzerguy." That did it and no money had to be exchanged. A teacher's perk!

Now, as to how that came about. The Southwest Symphony just happened to be observing a school week, with members visiting every school in our 110-mile-long county to introduce children to classical and concert type music. Included in the two-day event was a salute to current and former teachers.

We old timers and the following generation of old timers are learning every day. Now what shall we tackle next to outwit the economy?