Toby Price

And just stopping and thinking about it now makes me really sad.

I had a friend who came to my house and told me, dude, after what happened, I took Walter the farting dog off my shelf and took it home.

He's a second grade teacher.

I know.

And it made me think that, wow, this is a big deal because teachers like him and teachers like me,

They're not going to read those fun, silly books to kids like we want them to.

And kids need those books, not just because they're hilarious.

No.

If you can hook a child with the funny and the silly books and make them think, wow, I want to read that, they'll stick around and read more and find out all of the wonderful things that books can be besides just funny and silly.

You know, some days as a teacher, you feel like Captain America.

You're up there smiling, high-fiving, and changing lives.

And other days, you're like Peter Parker, sitting in that tiny, broken-down apartment, bandaging your wounds literally and metaphorically and emotionally, wondering, is this all worth it?

Am I even making a difference?

Why do I do this?

And you do it because it is the hardest job in the world, and it's the best job in the world.

And now, while we wait for a decision, I'm grateful that I get to sit at home with my three friends.

We're reading some Wonder Woman, some Titanic, and my oldest has developed a love for Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, and Spider-Man.

And I get to share those books with those kids today.

Thank you.