A Word from the Faculty — Charles Plummer

     My two passions are teaching and doing living-history presentations as some of the more famous Civil War generals.  While reading about the Civil War, I came across this passage that describes my life’s journey: “Seemingly insignificant decisions in our lives set us on irreversible courses; that we were born when and where we were, that we chose to live here or there, seem to set us on a track from which there is only one detour, only one escape.”

     I was born in a mill town where most parents expected their children to work in a local mill.  Instead, I entered Farmington State Teachers College with no plans to become a teacher.  Rather, I had decided on a career as a naval aviator.  But a plane crash off the coast of Korea ended that, and I returned to Auburn to begin nine years as a fifth-grade teacher.  Following that I served for twenty years as an elementary school principal, retiring in 1989 as  a family counselor.  Now I teach evening courses for the Auburn Adult Education Program.

     Several years ago Midcoast Senior College invited me to teach a course on the Civil War.  Committed to life-long learning, I tell students that one of the benefits of our courses is that they will leave with a different and better brain than the one they entered with.  A result of mental stimulation is that one grows more dendrites that increase brain capacity and mental health.

     “I Hope You Dance,” sung by Lee Ann Womack, is one of my favorite songs.  These lines stand out:  “I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,” and “When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.”  To me, this sums up what Senior College is all about, and that is why I enjoy my role as a teacher.  Life-long learners haven’t lost their sense of wonder and metaphorically speaking, they would rather dance than sit life out.