03/18/2026
A THOUGHT OF MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE:
The milestone of turning 60 has made me reflect greatly on the importance that certain people had in my life. Other than my family and friends for obvious reasons, I’d like to dedicate this post to the one person that changed my life dramatically forever; my 10th & 11th grade English teacher Mrs. JuLan Decker, who coincidentally shared my birthday on March 18th.
I was a bit of a class clown in her class to put it mildly, and in many cases I knew she was fairly entertained; and most times I got away with it. I truly adored her, and it was mutual. On holidays I would run through the halls to her class and draw a mural on the chalkboard representing our holiday vacation, which would make our class run a little bit late for her to wipe it clean, and us kids didn’t mind. And here’s where she changed the course of my life…
One afternoon just before our three day Easter Vacation she said she wanted to speak to me after class. I behaved that day thinking the worst. After the classroom was empty, I asked if everything was alright. She said that everything was fine and wanted to give me an assignment if I were willing. Of course I was curious and asked what she was implying. She told me that I was different and had an unbridled imagination, then asked if I would be willing to write a poem for a poetry contest. I was like, “Poems are kind of girly, don’t ya think, Mrs. Decker?” She then told me that all of the rock and roll songs I loved had lyrics that spawned from poetry and asked me again to give it a shot. That definitely changed the dynamic and I told her that I’d consider. The bus ride home was beyond quizzical. I ended up taking the challenge and actually enjoyed the mind frame it took to complete.
Come Monday, I ran to her classroom and handed it to her before my first class. She immediately read it and wiped a tear from her eye and said, “I knew you had it in you, David. I just knew.” I couldn’t have been more proud; so heartwarming that my assignment invoked such emotion in her.
A few weeks later, she told me that she had entered it into the contest and that it made it in a book of Wyoming poets. It was my first ever published works and I haven’t been the same since. She gave the greatest gift a bratty outspoken sophomore without direction could ever recieve. An awakening of my true calling.
Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mrs. Decker. You were loved by many and I’m certain that I wasn’t the only one that you inspired greatly. You always wore your inner light on your sleeve. RIP, my dear friend…and thank you! ✨🙏
