Sunday, May 4, 2014

The kindness of students


For the second year in a row, I was invited to speak at Gregory-Portland Intermediate School in Portland, TX. And for the second year in a row, my kind host Cati Partridge sent me a thick stack of thank you letters from the students who were forced to listen to me for an hour. And for the second year in a row, I was struck by many of them. Here are some comments that stood out:

  • “It takes a real man to look up that much information! If it were my opinion, you actually made history!”
  • “Out of all the guest speakers, you were the best…and the most hilarious. You have inspired me to follow through with all of my dreams and goals. My first goal is to make varsity soccer and my second is to become an open heart surgeon. I think you helped a lot with making them come true.”
  • “I honestly thought it was going to be another boring author, but you turned out to be really interesting! Superheroes aren’t real but I can certainly see one in you!”
  • “I think your dedication to your writing is very inspiring and many other authors could learn from you. You’re a funny, awesome, and a nobleman [sic].”
  • “Now you’re famous and you inspired many people in my school, including me. You are the best person I know that has good speeching [sic] skills.”
  • “In Language class, we’re doing a project where we pick an author and research them. I wish I would’ve known about your books!”
  • “What is it like to be a superhero…writer?”
  • “I want to do what you do—investigate and look for stuff people don’t even know about. Mr. Nobleman, is all of this you do worth it?”
  • “If only Bill Finger or Batman could see you now.”
  • “I was stunned when my teachers told us that an author was coming to our school. I thought that our little town was finally getting recognized by people. But then I remembered that you came last year and we were already on the map thanks to you.”
  • “Thank you, not just for coming to our school but for taking time out of your life to find these things out. To give credit to those who were given none and to shine light on those who were put in darkness. To me, however insignificant this letter may be, you are a hero.”
  • “When my dad picked me up from school, I told him everything [you said]! He said I’ve never said I liked something at school.”
  • “Halloween would have been much more boring without [Bill Finger]!”
  • “You are a loyal, great, hard-working fan of superheroes. It’s almost like you’re their hero.”

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