I’m in a project management course. Most of my fellow classmates read the syllabus screwy and didn’t understand things. I thought it was all no big deal and pointed it out several times. I communicated with the teacher to hang in there, his syllabus was fine but the peeps in class were dramatic.  I wrote to him and told him he was a fantastic teacher and I was learning much from him and not to let this “tough crowd†make him feel as though he wrote a poor syllabus.  I told him I didn’t get shaken up about life’s small things and for some reason I went on a tyrade and told him that my mother kicked me out at age 19. I have no earthly idea why I told him except that I was on a roll and it fit what I was saying. And probably because this year marks 18 years since she did that and it’s been in the back of mind a lot.Â
Upon sharing with him he wrote back:
“Thank you for your compliment and kind words, despite a bit of confusion here and there in the class. Thanks for taking it in stride.
 That is a very tough thing to hear from a mother, especially as a late teen. I am glad you have taken it with the correct perspective. I have certainly been able to ‘see’ and sense your tenacity. But you temper it just right with tact, respect, and humor in your communication. Thank you very much. I wish more people/students had that knack for blend.
Â
Thanks again and best wishes.
He said I had tenacity? Now there’s a quality that I admire and recently saw in someone else. Me tenacious? Wow…maybe so…