In case you didn't know, the Ice Bucket Challenge is all about raising awareness of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). When I asked some of my kids at school if they knew why they were participating, they mumbled something along the lines of "doing it for that cancer thingy."
I nearly cried. If you have ever known someone who has been afflicted, you know that this disease is one of the most horrible fates you could ever imagine. Your body shuts down. You are trapped inside knowing that you are unable to do anything about it.
Mr. Griffin was one of those teachers who could reach out and pull you in without you even realizing it. I had him for freshman PE and A&P my junior year. I vividly remember his tests; blank pages with a subject at the top. "Tell me everything you know about this" he would say. I also remember specific days in his class more than any other I have ever taken. He just had that way about him. Brandon Evans was his aide that year and they both spent the majority of their down time pranking Mrs. Potts.
Mr. Griffin started to die our freshman year. I can remember walking between buildings to go outside for PE and he would just be sort of shuffling along. At that point, a lot of us didn't really know what was wrong, just that he was having trouble walking. It became more apparent the next year when he came to school in his scooter. The next year, he couldn't use his hands and he was having trouble talking. Mr. Griffin left us over spring break my senior year. A group of us were loitering downtown when the ambulance went by and we all kind of knew when we saw which way it was headed.
I know I am just one of many who was affected by his life and death. He is always one I cite when asked why I became a teacher. To this day, I donate blood because he told me it was important. Even after all this time, he is still remembered.
So I am taking the other option in this challenge. The check is in the mail.
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