Mrs O'Neal was my Calculus teacher in 11th grade. She inspired me to accept that it is perfectly fine to be a math-geek. And then there was Mrs Wilder; she was my AP English teacher in 12th grade. She inspired me to embrace my God-given talent for the written word; she also encouraged me in my coming-out process and for that I will be eternally grateful. She also let me play the song "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush to the class as part of the 2 weeks we spent reading the eponymous novel. Mrs Wilder is a wonderful human being; she even gave me Oh The Places You'll Go as a graduation present. How cool is that?

Postscript: I visited Maryland for my 20-year high school reunion in October 2008 and I made a point of visiting both Mrs O'Neal and Mrs Wilder. Mrs O'Neal is now into year THIRTY-THREE of teaching, and she has spent all of those years teaching the same subject at the same high school (Oxon Hill High School in Southlawn / Oxon Hill, Maryland). Isn't that amazing?