My Greatest Teachers

When you think of your teachers in life that taught you something you think of people.One teacher from my past that I will never forget was Ms.Maxwell. Back in the day for some reason our teacher carried over from first second to third grade I had Ms.Maxwell.She was an older lady with the kindest voice. I remember her because she taught me that no one was dumb and that you could do anything if you tried. All through school I did exactly that.I was never an A+ student, but my grades were good enough to get me into Cleveland State University. Even though I ended up quitting, throughout life I never felt dumb, whatever I faced in life.Ms.Maxwell I will never ever forget...

My Mom was one of my great teachers.She wasn't the hugging type, but she taught me about love.I believe that is one of my greatest assets--knowing how to love, how to allow myself to be loved. Everything important comes from the people who love me, who I love. The love my Mom taught me got me through the hardest parts of my life; losing her and my time on death row. If I didn't have the loving background I grew up in I would have disappeared into this darkness, never to be seen again. I learned to appreciate love because of my Mom.

My greatest teacher is not a person I can name. My greatest teacher is the last 34 years of my life sitting in prison for a murder I didn't commit. It has taught me a patience. I probably would have never otherwise learned this. It has also taught me humbleness and respect.Things I should have learned anyway, but didn't until this happened to me. 

People often come to realize things when they lose it or its taken away.You don't realize how beautiful a sunbeam really is watching it cross a wall. Or a breath of air that goes missing for years. Have you ever really sat and just watched the sun go down? Or felt the joy of the rain and not the misery?

Do you now stand in front of the microwave having a conversation with it because you just can't wait for that last 4 seconds to be done? Patience, Love Humbleness. If you give life the respect it deserves, no matter the outcome, it is truly your greatest teacher. And you can say you were taught well. Now I just want to put that wisdom out in the world. I want to share what my teachers taught me.

Stay blessed and Stay Prayed up,

Arthur