- THE FIRST STAR I EVER MET
WAS MY FAVORITE TEACHER.
HIS NAME WAS JOE PAPALEO.
HE WAS THIS AWESOME, SMALL ITALIAN GENTLEMAN,
AND HE WAS JUST THE GREATEST.
HE DID WHAT MOST WRITING PROFESSORS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO.
BUT HE DID MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
HE WOULD SPEND HOURS IN HIS OFFICE WITH ME
GOING OVER THE WORK I WAS DOING.
AND HE WAS A PUBLISHED AUTHOR, SO I WAS IMPRESSED.
HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON THAT MADE ME BELIEVE
THAT MY VOICE MATTERED
AND THAT WHAT I WROTE ACTUALLY COULD BE SOMETHING,
COULD BE PUBLISHED SOMEDAY.
- GOT IT.
- AND YOU'RE SET.
- WHAT I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE WAS HE MADE ME FEEL CONFIDENT
AND HE MADE ME FEEL REAL.
AND BEFORE JOE PAPALEO, I WAS A GUY WHO WROTE.
BUT AFTER JOE, I WAS A WRITER.
I'LL NEVER FORGET HIM,
AND I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR HIM.
BECOME A TEACHER.
