Little Bee, Yes Man, & Potential to Change the World

I finished reading Little Bee by Chris Cleave this morning. Towards the end of the book a couple of the characters in the book are discussing when they lost the belief that they could change the world. The way I read it was that both characters felt the notion that they could change the world was a very naive assumption on their part. One of the characters then says something like, 'You changed my world'. That is one of the powers of a teacher. Everyday you step into the classroom you have the potential to change the world, at least the individual world of a student.
Friday a couple of 6th graders popped in to see what they got on their final exam. One wanted her picture taken with me. After the picture and just before she walked out the door, she turned and said, "Dr.C, you're the best teacher I have ever had." It blew me away. I mumbled thanks and something about her always being a wonderful student to teach as she turned and disappeared. I suppose there is some world changing potential in one 6th grader who liked science for at least one year when she was 12.
Friday night the 8th graders had a celebratory end-of-year sleep-over at the school. The homeroom teacher had asked other teachers to help, and I volunteered to conduct a game (Capture the Flag) for the kids. She was looking for teachers to sleep-over, but I am very particular about my sleep in my latter years. Yesterday (Saturday) afternoon I watched the Jim Carrey movie "Yes Man". If you haven't seen it I don't think I am spoiling it by saying it is about Carrey's character buying into a self-help philosophy that requires him to say "Yes" to every opportunity that presents itself. In some ways it was good I didn't watch it before the teacher asked me if I would sleep-over with the kids, but after the Capture the Flag game she was discussing another activity for the evening, the telling of scary stories around the campfire. She didn't come right out and ask if I would stay and tell stories, but she did start talking about how her son (who is a 7th grader) really enjoyed the scary stories I told when the 7th grade had their annual sleep-over. I started pondering if I should stay. I thought about needing to  review my scary story file, having to wait around for another hour, swatting off mosquitoes that seemed to be enjoying the Deep Woods Off I had lathered on, and my growing weariness as the evening slid further past my usual bedtime. I packed up the "Capture the Flag" equipment and slipped away. Perhaps if I had seen "Yes Man" the day before I would have lept at the chance to tell some scary stories. My stories made enough of an impression on a 7th grader that he told his mom about my scary story telling talent; although, I doubt if there is anything there that will change the world.