A Teacher That Changed My Life

I have a note on my wall next to my desk. It is in a distinctive handwriting and when it fell out of a file a few months back I had to stop and remember. It was from a mentor, from someone that long, long ago in a junior high school made a difference in my life that I still feel to this day. Funny how someone from our past can reach out across time and poke you in the current day.

Back in 7th grade I would say that, well, I was a square peg in a round hole. While many of my peers were starting to take on the look and stride of young adults and classification as either a jock or some other group I was a true world class nerd. I wore a suit and tie when I could, and yes wingtip Florsheim shoes. With a Samsonite briefcase in one hand and a map of the new school in the other I went into a much bigger world than I had left at Gatelot Elementary School.

As I walked into Mr. Borovay's 7th grade art class I had little idea that this great man would take me under his wing and be a daily source of support and guidance over the next three years (and beyond).

On this first meeting, not sure why I did this, but I was very early to class and the only one in the room. I took a tall stool seat up in the front, standing on the top of the seat and took my tie and hung it over the wire that ran across the room (there were a few crisscrossing the room to clip art work to dry). Because the top of the stool was below the desktop it looked (I thought) like I was hanging by my tie from the wire. (I guess watching the dark comedy Harold and Maude was fresh in my mid). As Mr. B walked in without a look up at me or a skipped beat he said "there is no way our of my class, even trying to hang yourself, so sit down.." Which I did.

From that point on I volunteered to help "Mr. B" (as all that loved and admired Mr. Borovay would call him) with anything and everything he was working on. From cleaning up his art room, to help with his projects for the school plays. He always listened when we talked, responded to me as an adult not a kid. He heard what I was really saying when I might be talking about something stupid like a movie I just went to see and really I was trying to share how I felt different in many ways from the packs running at school. 

Over the 3 years at Samoset Jr High School I learned so much from this wonderful man. He brought me into his personal life, getting to meet his young family, even hiring me to help do yard work. Another time Mr. B learned of my love for photography and he lobbied to the school to set up a photo dark room in the school. They gave him an old janitors closet and he and I converted it into a darkroom over a few weekends and Mr. B donated his old negative projector and a ton of darkroom equipment. He showed me how to develop film and print pictures. He even reached out to the school paper and had me become the the paper press photographer. 

Mr. B was an inspiration to me and I think he saw something in me, my potential. He gave me more and more responsibility, he trusted that I would figure it out. Over the years I would reach back out and ask for his advice, his view of things. Three key lessons from Mr. Borovay:

1. Fear is All in Your Head: When I was in high school I really wanted to get more involved and run for junior class president. I was all fearful of not winning, of what people would say, that I would look stupid in front of the class. I went back to see Mr. B and ask him what I should do. His words still ring out "What do you want to do? Will you kick yourself later if you don't run? What is holding you back, fear of what? Fear is all in your head, just go doing it. Give it all you have and always be you, you can't go wrong doing it your way. 

He was so right. Mr. B even created my campaign poster on the spot (the top part of the picture of this post is part of that poster) . I gave it my all and won. Over the next two years I did so many memorable and exciting activities. Even planning and holding our first Model Congress. Every time I would hear that small voice of fear I would just move forward remembering his words. 

2. There Are No Problems Just Solutions: Every time we were working on a project, from building a set for a play to raking leaves in his yard (which Mr. B would pay me to do, in the end I realized it was time to help me become the person I am by being in his home turf) if we ran into a problem, a challenge he would say "lets think about this, lets see what we have and what we can do. There are no problems just solutions." Sure enough he would dig through a tool box, or a pile of scrap wood and "bing" an idea would come forward.

I remember there was a big crew of kids working on the 8th grade play, The Wizard of Oz. It started with Mr. Borovay being the Director and him asking me to do lighting and special effects. As time went on it shifted from a simple kids play to a true production, an Off Broadway one but it had so many excellent actors/actresses. Mr. B would say "so, how do we take this to the next level? Make it something amazing for the audience?" Being kids the tech team would come up with all these ideas and reasons why it wouldn't work. We would shoot down the creativity. With his positive and challenging attitude he would ask us to stop and think, try some solutions. Well we did everything from flying monkeys swooping over the audience, to the Great Oz chamber with fire billowing and a giant image of the Great Oz speaking, to a life size hot air ballon taking the Professor away.  Mr. B trusted me with so much, with a team, with equipment, with the shows creative special effects - I always felt supported but it was clear I was accountable. I didn't feel like a kid. 

3. Embrace Your Inner Nerd, Nerds Will Rule The World! From time to

time Mr. B would see that I was down, that my head was hanging low. His "whats up, whats going on in that skull of yours?" One time I shared that, well I wish I was more like the others in the school. Into sports, or into being cool, just not such a nerd. That is when he said, "hey don't change because of others or wanting to fit in, instead build on what you are. Being different can make all the difference. The future is being made by those that are different, the ones that didn't fit in shape their own future and we all benefit from that." The next day he brought in an article on Bill Gates, it was in 1977 and it showed how much of a nerd he was, and Mr. Borovay said "this guy could be the king of nerds and what he is doing will change all our lives..." 

Mr. B had many nick names for me, including "Howard" after Howard Hughes (he even played Ice Station Zebra in class - this was Hughes favorite movie and he watched it over and over), this was all an attempt to look backwards for people that made a difference, that changed their lives and made a different world. History was important to Mr. B and he showed me that we can learn from the past and that those that stand out over time are the square pegs in a round world. 

In big ways (asking me to go with his young family to my first Medieval Festival in Pennsylvania) to asking me to sneak out and get lunch at Burger King with him and the other art teachers from time to time. To his giant trust of me as an adult not a kid, to a kind ear and a challenging tone when I needed it Mr. Borovay made a big difference in my life. 

Life is like a river to me and in time it is like being on the mighty Amazon River, with everything so far away and those in our lives that matter greatly become faded images, distant. Then a letter falls out of a file and it is all fresh. Sadly Mr. Lenoard Borovay passed away in 2008. He was young (only 59), he was doing what he loved (running a theater and a play production) and then he was gone. I had not talked to Mr. B since high school, 1980, but it was as if he was right there with me all the time. While I kick myself for not reaching out and visiting, I know that his spirit is in and with me. He was always pushing to grow, to bring more into the world and to be creative.

The beard I grew in high school and still wear it today as a testament, a respectful gesture to a great man that made an impact in my life (and many, many others). 

Till this day I call upon his words and actions. I find that when I am confronted with an issue I look for the possibilities. That when I work with a team or a peer I give them the time to share and think, wanting them to push themselves to the next level. He also used humor whenever he could, to dull a bad moment or get us all realizing a set back in not the end. 

Is there a teacher in your life that made a difference? Elementary, High School, College? Make sure you let them know how much their care, their interest made a difference.