Mr. Arostegui
We, students, can go about our school day never once batting an eye on how our teachers used to not be, or even desire to become, teachers. Sure there are the small simple questions like, “What’s your favorite color” or “How many kids do you have” or maybe even “Why did you become a teacher out of all the jobs in the world.” But you don’t really know much about where, why, how, or even when they got to the steps that lead them to where they are today. I had Mr. Arostegui as my Spanish teacher my freshman year, he would narrate jokes and stories from his evening the day before or even his younger self.
With Mr. A making small talk while teaching, it allowed for a small connection in a constant cycle to break off and make him being a teacher have a deeper meaning. According to Mr. A, “I was born in a city close to the sea, so I really enjoy eating fish and other seafood. If I could eat seafood for the rest of my life I would be so happy, and I know how to prepare it so it makes it even better. When I was a kid, there was a plaza by my house that had a market for fishermen. Everyday they would have fresh fish, the only bad thing about the fresh fish was that there was that fresh fish smell but I didn’t mind it. My favorite color is gray. I've never liked the color orange at all, I prefer more mono-tone earthy colors more than vibrant or bright. I moved over here from Spain because of my wife. I met her when she was in Spain studying Spanish and I was studying political science. There were complications with her moving to Spain at the last minute, so in the end I came here for her. I have two kids, one boy and one girl. I also have two cats which I put a little bowl of whipping cream in, not the milk. One of my cats went crazy over the whipping cream. I also had a small little dog which was about 15 years old. He was my favorite, he was there when my parents weren’t you know? No matter what, he came to the door the happiest one to see me. They are the ones that stick with you when you're in bed sick, staying at your feet to keep you warm.”
Sometimes, if not the majority of the time, getting to know stories about anyone can allow for you to see past the sort of ‘mask’ they put on for you that they want you to see to have a deeper connection. Even one simple story from someone can change your perspective on aspects in life that develop further into having a more open-minded persona.
