Mr. C. & Me

<h4>What can a 1980s elementary school custodian teach us about life in a pandemic / post-pandemic world? A lot actually...</h4><p><br></p><p>Growing up is a challenge! Especially for an effervescent full of life live for the moment curly-haired boy who wants to soak up everything life offers-but whose teachers have other priorities.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Hi I'm Chris Forman</strong>. Four decades later the words above still describe me (minus the hair). I admit I was a handful. Usually mischievous. Occasionally charming. And nearly always misunderstood.</p><p><br></p><p>With dozens of adults working at my elementary school only one understood me. Mr. Clifferd the school custodian. I often visited his office (the boiler room). He always knew just what to say and how to lift me up. Mr. C.'s lessons shaped my life.</p><p><br></p><p>Today we find ourselves in a chaotic world. Social ills run rampant. Climate change threatens our survival. A global pandemic shook the world. And yet the quiet wisdom of a long-retired custodian echoes across the decades with profundity. His message remains more relevant today than ever before.</p><p>Join me for a joyful journey through my childhood. You'll meet some mean teachers and a bunch of my crazy (and oddly named) classmates. Best of all you'll meet the amazing Mr. C. and learn from this common man's uncommon wisdom. We'll share a few tears. And have lots of laughs. (Take it from a kid whose antics earned him a permanent home in the principal's office).</p><p><br></p><p>I can't wait for you to meet Mr. C. You're going to love him. And he just might change your life too.</p>