DAMARY’S RETIREMENT

Damary is my Ex's mom. Here's her retirement speech/letter.

DAMARY’S RETIREMENT

I LIVED IN CUBA FOR ONLY 14 YEARS, BUT I HAVE LIVED IN ROOM 1105 AT 100 SYCAMORE STREET FOR THE PAST 23 YEARS. I THANK EACH OF YOU FOR COMING TODAY TO SHARE THIS SPECIAL MOMENT WITH ME. I KNOW I HAVE GONE THROUGH MANY CHANGES IN MY LIFE, AND THIS WILL BE ANOTHER MAJOR ADJUSTMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO BESTOW SOME “THANK YOU’S.”

FIRST, I OWE A BIG “THANK YOU” TO MR. SAVOIE WHO GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A TEACHER IN CALCASIEU PARISH. NEXT, A UNIQUE “THANKS” GOES TO MR. JOHN LAND WHO ALLOWED ME TO BEGIN WORKING AT SULPHUR HIGH SCHOOL THOUGH I HAD NOT PASSED THE ENGLISH PORTION OF THE NTE. I TAUGHT MAINLY SPANISH, BUT HE ASSIGNED ME TO TEACH ONE-ENGLISH I CLASS. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT! HE BELIEVED IN ME, AND MANY IN THAT GROUP OF KIDS HAVE GONE ON TO BE PROFESSIONALS IN VARIOUS FIELDS. AT THE END OF THAT YEAR, I TOOK THE NTE AND PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS. MR. LAND TEASINGLY TOLD ME LATER THAT THOSE STUDENTS WERE BEGINNING TO SOUND LIKE ME INCLUDING THE SPANISH ACCENT.

MR. LAND ASKED ME WHY I WAS LIVING IN SULPHUR WHEN MOST OF MY RELATIVES WERE IN FLORIDA. I TOLD HIM THERE WERE TOO MANY CUBANS IN MIAMI. I’VE LIVED IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, TEXAS, KUWAIT, AND SPAIN. IN ALL THESE PLACES I HAVE NEVER FOUND A PLACE AS FRIENDLY AS SULPHUR, LA.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR MR. GERALD CONNER AND MR. CHUCK HANSEN WHO STOOD BY ME THROUGH SOME TOUGH TIMES DURING THE ‘90’S. SOME OTHER “THANK YOU’S” GO OUT TO BARBARA CULPEPPER, MR. ANDY PATTON, MR. MENARD, AND THE SULPHUR HIGH SCHOOL STAFF FOR LENDING ME THEIR SUPPORT ALL MY YEARS AT SULPHUR HIGH SCHOOL. I THANK MR. BONIN FOR HIS DISTINCTIVE ABILITY TO GET TO THE ROOT OF A PROBLEM AND SOLVE IT WITH DIGNITY. I STILL PLAN TO CALL HIM DURING THE SUMMER TO FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE SPANISH PROGRAM.

GOD DID NOT GIVE ME BROTHERS AND SISTERS, BUT I AM THANKFUL FOR A MAN WHO IS LIKE A “BROTHER” MR. TONY DOUGHERTY. HE FOREVER STAYS COOL AND CALM IN ADVERSITY. HE HAS ALWAYS GIVEN ME GOOD SOLID ADVICE. GOD HAS GIVEN ME FRIENDS LIKE SISTERS SUCH AS: CHERYL BREAUX, ALITA BARNES, KATIE ABSHIRE, AND ISABEL HEAL I HAVE A LOT OF ADOPTED DAUGHTERS LIKE MARIA HEAL-GOMEZ, DIELLE BARRENTINE, LORA PERKINS, LORI BENOIT; AND ADOPTED SONS LIKE BINKY BARRENTINE AND DAMON ABSHIRE.

OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE TOUCHED MY LIFE AS A TEACHER: MIKE DANOS, BETTE DRYMON, CASSIDY HIGGINGBOTTEM, MICKEY MALLETT, SUSAN KEY, LINDA BUTLER, BOB WEBER, CARY HARDAWAY, KATHY BEDNARDZ, VEDA ARMSTEAD, AND THE WHOLE SECOND LUNCH BUNCH (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE). I AM SORRY IF I HAVE LEFT OUT SOMEONE. THERE ARE SO MANY.

SOMEONE VERY CLOSE TO ME IS NEIL SINGLETON WHO WORKS HERE. WHEN MY HUSBAND BECAME ILL AND COULDN’T WORK ANYMORE AROUND THE HOUSE, HE CAME TO OUR RESCUE. HE WILL ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF JIMMY AND ME, AND I APPRECIATED HIM SO MUCH.

I THANK MY MOM (WHO NEEDS MY HELP NOW) FOR HER LOVING SACRIFICE OF TAKING CARE OF MY KIDS WHILE I ATTENDED COLLEGE. I THANK MY AUNT CLARA FOR GIVING HER LOVE AND FINANCIAL PROVISION WHILE I GOT MY EDUCATION. I THANK MY THREE CHILDREN DEE DEE, JORGE, AND ALEX WHO BACKED ME UP THROUGH ALL THE UP’S AND DOWN’S IN MY LIFE. MOST OF ALL, I THANK MY HUSBAND JIMMY FOR BEING AT MY SIDE ALL THIS TIME AND FOR HIS LOVING ENCOURAGEMENT, ESPECIALLY THROUGH MY TWO YEARS OF DRIVING ONCE A WEEK TO LSU IN ORDER TO GET MY MASTER’S DEGREE.

ONCE I WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE SOUTHWEST DAILY NEWS FOR THE “MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR” SECTION. I WAS ASKED WHO MY HERO WAS.

I ANSWERED WITH THE NAME DON QUIXOTE. HE WAS A MAN WHO SAW BEAUTY IN EVERYTHING, THE GOOD IN EVERYONE. HE BELIEVED IN GIVING A SECOND CHANCE TO OTHERS. HE FOLLOWED HIS QUEST, HIS DREAM. THAT IS WHAT I’VE TRIED TO DO AS A SPANISH TEACHER AT SULPHUR HIGH SCHOOL. I BELIEVE, IN ORDER TO TEACH YOUR SUBJECT MATTER, YOU MUST ALSO TEACH TO THE WHOLE PERSON ABOUT LIFE AS WELL. HERE, I THANK MY STUDENTS FOR ALLOWING ME TO TEACH THEM. WITH ALL YOUR HELP, I HOPE I HAVE FULFILLED MY QUEST AS A TEACHER AND DONE MY JOB SUCCESSFULLY.

THANK YOU, MRS. TYREE, FOR RECORDING THIS FOR ME.