I'm carryin the wheel - the search for validation

It's the mid-day and I've managed to drag myself from my house into the humid, sticky day. Clouds cascading the sky, warm air peters into my window and blowing in my face. It's a nice day, and while most people would disregard this as a "shitty weather" type of day, I'm fine with it. I like the clouds and I like when it rains, and I like this humid but generally cooler weather that is associated with this type of climate at this time of year.

Then, all of a sudden, while passing by the old Exxon station, I see something that wipes the joy out of the moment. On the car in front of me, a sticker reads:

2 TEACH is
2 TOUCH a life
4 EVER

So, boys and girls, I pose a question. Why is it that teachers need to add this level of importance, this prestige to their title?

And I'm not, for fear of the over-cynicism of my future career, denigrating the importance of a teacher in a student's life. Teachers can teach many things, on and off the books. And yes, they can recognize that potential in students and give them an opportunity they couldn't have afforded in any other way. And this has happened.

However.

Why is it so necessary to strive to gain this kind of attention-seeking recognition? Teachers who do this seem to be the adult version of a girl who, say, creates drama or says she's pregnant to capture attention or to trap a guy in a relationship.

Teachers do good work. They educate, and education is important because the acquisition of it can lead to pursuing future careers, realizing the self, and affording opportunities. Furthermore, a teacher should theoretically care about their students (nevermind the experience I've had in the teacher's lounge, where teachers poke fun at their students for mistakes or personality or disabilities or whatever).

But ya know what? A lot of other professions do good things too. Policemen, when not being tools and ticketing for retarded bullshit, sometimes may or may not help people and preserve safety within a community. Plumbers may rotorooter your toilet so it's not blocked up with shit anymore. The librarian stocks books and shit. Et cetera. Most careers fill some sort of niche in society that is useful for one thing or another.

Yeah, there's that occasional situation where a teacher takes interest in a student and through their support the student, say, doesn't kill themselves or something. But really, this isn't a teacher saving a life. This is a person. Anyone could be this person.

Here I'm going to do what you're supposed to do with blogs, and refer to a different blog, which is to be found here. Here's an actual teacher talking about the trials and tribulations of her profession, but how it's so worth it because of the job she is able to do. Bullshit, I say. Everyone has hardships at their job and any person could act as a role model for a child.

A few translations:
"2 teach is 2 touch a life 4ever" = I have no other purpose in my life but my job which happens to be an indispensable service...therefore I'm important.

apple sticker on a car = A teacher feels it necessary to point out the fact of their self-worth

"a good teacher is long remembered" = a teacher may be remembered in passing for remembering something or having sweet projects or a cool personality.