When I learned SPA was the right place for me

Thank you for every one's support of the blog! I've thoroughly enjoyed reading the all entries. I have my own Pamela Anderson story .... but that's a different blog.

I want to share my story of the day I knew I belonged at SPA. It wasn't an inspirational moment of academic or athletic achievement (still waiting for those.) I believe it was a confluence of the space/time continuum or a divine intervention, but it was probably just dumb luck.

For those that do not know, I did not attend the Lower School, but started SPA in the Seventh Grade. The adjustment from public to private education was a struggle for me in general, but nowhere more so than math classes. In the Eighth Grade, I was in Mr. Drechsel's math class. I think it was the lower class tract, which we affectionately termed "dumb math." I wasn't Mr. Drechsel's favorite student and the feeling was mutual. He would call on me daily to solve problems on the chalk board in front of the class. Often, I couldn't solve the problem. I realize now it was a growing experience and the process was more important than finding the correct solution. However, I distinctly remember being humiliated on most days and sent back to my desk simmering with anger or fighting back tears, depending on my mood.

One day, the humiliation overcame me to the point I needed to vent, and it wouldn't wait until after class. I was just sent back to my desk and the class was to work a problem individually, so the room was silent There was a small sliver of chalk on my desk in front of me. Against my better judgement, I grabbed the chalk and whipped it at Mr. Drechsel with all my might! The next few seconds were in slow motion as the chalk flew true, end over end horizontally. It drilled Mr. Drechsel on his forehead, right between his eyes. The next split second (the bargaining phase) I thought, "Maybe the old man's nerve endings are detached and didn't feel it?" No such luck:

"WHO THREW THAT! I WANT TO KNOW WHO THREW THAT!" as he shot out of his chair to his feet. I never knew he could move that quickly. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, "OR DID IT FALL FROM THE CEILING?"

Almost as one, the class responded affirmatively, "That's what happened. It just fell. Strangest thing I ever saw."

Surely, somebody saw me throw the chalk. Yet nobody ratted me out. Amazing! You can imagine my relief.

That's when I felt accepted, not by faculty, staff, or administration, but by my classmates. That was far more important to me. With the help of my friends, I could deal with the authorities and challenges at SPA. That's when I learned SPA was the right place for me.

Dave

20 Years--It Can't Be So

The last time that I spoke to some of you was at our 10 year reunion where I had brought my girlfriend at the time who is now my wife.

So here's a story of fated love: A mutual contact set me up with this woman who went to SPA and graduated a few years ahead of us (1986). That's pretty much all that I knew about her. Well, given my experience with girls at SPA, I thought that there was no way that this would work out. We talked on the phone and I mustered up the courage to ask her out. YES!!!! A girl from SPA said yes to a date with me :-). Due to a mix up and not having my correct phone number, the first date almost didn't happen. On the first date we discovered that we had both gone to Horace Mann elementary school and had the same awful teacher after which we both transferred to Webster Magnet school. We even rode the same school bus. I later remembered that she was the mean bus patrol who made me sit at the front of the bus for throwing the one and only spitball in my life. We both also went to UW-Madison. We knew that we both went to SPA so we talked about teachers, classmates, etc. It was like we shared all of this together, yet in parallel. After the 2nd date, I remember telling a close friend that this was the girl I was going to marry. Do any of you remember Melissa Weisman?

Well, we have been married for 9 years and have a beautiful daughter Annabelle who is 7. She spends endless hours doing Project Runway fashion shows with her Barbie dolls, playing the piano, and making mom and dad very happy. I never imagined how much fun it would be being a parent!

...On to the career: I own my own IT Consulting firm and travel full-time for work to Rochester, MN where I provide Business Intelligence consulting services to the Mayo Clinic. The work is fascinating and the people at Mayo are truly "Minnesota Nice."

Being at Mayo, one might think that the motivation to be very health-conscious is strong. However, I can no longer see what color belt I am wearing. The good news is that I can still see the tips of my shoes. :-)

I can't wait to catch up with all of you at our reunion. Please try to make it.

P.S. Dave Salchow and I are still living in the 80's--we are going to the George Michael concert in July at the Xcel. He and I share an appreciation of fine Oldie's music!

-Rick Epstein