It has been 55+ years since I sat in her class and learned from her, but every few years, I receive an extended dream visit from my favorite teacher, Alpha Rossetti. It is always such a pleasure!
Last night’s dream was different. The earlier ones took place indoors — I expect because I only saw her indoors except for one time when I visited her home.
Last night’s dream took place outdoors. I was driving us around near and in Cle Elum, so we were up on ridges at times and down in town at others. I caught her up on my doings — politics, chest masculinization and panniculectomy surgeries, Deaken, keeping in touch with Susan, looking forward to the 55th high school reunuion next year.
I talked about seeing an old classmate named Fred (no idea who Fred is, or was, but he was in my dream as Fred) at a tavern in town (Not Mike’s Tavern, which her husband, the mayor of Cle Elum, owned and operated, but a tavern/eatery called the Leaf) and how shy he seemed, which was unusual for him. And then I told her that maybe he was shy because he didn’t recognize me without my boobs and couldn’t figure out why this stranger was addressing him so collegially, and we laughed!
MY WRITING ANGEL
For those of you who don’t know, or don’t remember, Alpha Rossetti was the first teacher who took me firmly under her wing as a writer. She was astounded by my ability to string words together in such enchanting ways, and when I asked her to help me write even better (BECAUSE she was my English teacher), she surprised me by confessing she couldn’t help me write any better because she wasn’t a writer, “but I AM a reader and I can tell great writing when I read it.”
My request must have preyed on her mind because, not long after this conversation, she subscribed to two years of THE WRITER Magazine for me. (She knew that, as a struggling farm family, my parents didn’t have the extra money to put toward a magazine that only one family member would be interested in reading.)
I devoured every issue, reading each several times each. I kept my precious stash of magazines for decades, and wish I still had them. (And I may, in an old trunk in storage.)
MY MOST HELPFUL CRITIC
Alpha was also the teacher who cared enough to speak up when I started to present in a way she didn’t like. I was a huge Jerry Lewis fan and began to mimic him. She pulled me aside after class one day to let me know she didn’t like “the new me.” OUCH SQUARED!!!! That straightened me out pronto. The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint my favorite teacher, the one who believed in me and my dream goal of becoming a professional writer even more than I did at that point in time.
She was, and remained, an ever-present light in my life. During our 10th class reunion, I visited her again and we spent the afternoon reminiscing and catching up. When she retired, she gave me her booklet, which I still have and cherish.
Aside: One day in class (junior high), she looked up and said to me, “Kris, I’ve looked and looked, and I can’t find what I need. How do you spell schizophrenic?” I’m not even sure I knew what the word meant, but I intuitively knew how to spell it, and I did!
She shook her head. “I knew you’d know. I looked under s-c-i and s-k-i and every other way I could think of!”
UTTERLY DEVASTATING NEWS
When Susan contacted me to let me know Alpha passed away in 1984, I was devastated. I was living and working in Sacramento with the Animal Protection Institute and couldn’t get back for her funeral, but I wrote an open letter about her as my personal eulogy to her, and the town newspaper (Kittitas County Tribune) published it. I wish I still had a copy of it, but I’m sure it pretty much detailed what you’re finding here.
TIME IN A BOTTLE
In case this information about Mrs/Rossetti is all new to you, I’ll attach the notes and yearbook messages she shared with me for so many years.
Alpha wrote the note above to acknowledge my intestinal bypass surgery and catch me up on her doings in 1977
Alpha Rossetti’s home in Cle Elum (image taken earlier this year)
Final (Terrestrial) Resting Place
I was blessed by a handful of wonderful teachers but, hands down, the one who blessed me most was this delightful, candid, encouraging woman who never failed to let me know I could accomplish anything I set my mind to.
I am forever in her debt. And so are you, those of you who enjoy my books, blog posts and other literary output!
I very much look forward to our next meeting, in a dream state … or wherever!
