T-shirts

A few months ago, I attended a group meeting where the main speaker shared about a project that the group had participated in. We even got t-shirts for our participation. As the speaker shared, though, and I heard many things for the first time, I began to feel disconnected from the group. In all honesty, I hadn’t done anything for the project…because I didn’t know much about the project…yet…I had the project t-shirt. After the meeting, I wrote the group-leader and said: “I don’t feel like I deserve the t-shirt. Yet I want to deserve the t-shirt. I want to be part of this. I just need to know how.”

When I was in college at Meredith, we joked that there was a t-shirt for everything--because there was. And I’m pretty sure that it’s the same way at other colleges.

When I worked at camps during the summers, I always came home with three or more camp t-shirts.

When I taught at Gentry and Erwin for 8 years, I collected quite a few shirts.

When I worked as a youth minister, I made sure to order each of my youth t-shirts.

In fact, I have t-shirt quilts from each of the above chapters of my life.

When I’ve been on event-planning teams, one of the ideas that’s always been brought up has been an event t-shirt.

When I worked in full-time ministry, one of the ideas that I kept bringing up was the idea of a nice work t-shirt.
When an art gallery messed up a Fabio canvas during shipping, they offered me a Fabio t-shirt as compensation. I was thrilled to get the t-shirt.
When I arrived at Johnsonville, one of the first things I did was get a school t-shirt.

T-shirts are a sign of pride. T-shirts are a sign of belonging.

Tonight, I bought two more Johnsonville shirts. Tonight’s purchase made Johnsonville shirt #13. Thirteen, friends. And remember: this is only the beginning of my third year at Johnsonville. At this rate, I’ll be able to make five more t-shirt quilts by the time I retire!

After I bought my t-shirts tonight, I put them on. I didn’t want to misplace them. Someone asked me to turn around so that she could see the back of the shirts. I did. Then I said, “And if you want to see the colors of the other one, then here it is.” I pulled up my top layer of Johnsonville-wear. After I showed off my second shirt, I said, “And if you want to see the original shirt, then here.” I pulled up my second layer of Johnsonville-wear and revealed my original shirt. I told the principal that it would be fun to have someone layer a bunch of Johnsonville-wear and make a comedy skit out of it at a meeting. I told my mom that it would be fun to wear a bunch of Johnsonville-wear to school one day and take off one shirt in between each class, thus teaching each class with a different outfit. I’m not sure that either my principal or my mom thought my ideas as fun as I did, but…alas…I still think both things would be fun. After all. I have 13 shirts from which to choose!

But you know what?
I’m proud of my 13 shirts.
I’m proud to show that I am part of Johnsonville and to be a walking billboard for it.
Do we have our issues? Yes. But doesn’t every school?
I’m proud to be part of a team that conquers mountains every day--
Paperwork, legislation, emotional and physical obstacles.
I’m proud to work in the public schools,
In a profession that changes lives.
I’m proud to be a teacher who voluntarily submits herself to being exploited.
I’m proud that I get the opportunity to change the world every day.

So I will gladly display the name of the group of which I am part—
Which right now is Johnsonville.
And I will gladly wear my group t-shirts—
One or thirteen at a time.