Well, @_Mitchellaneous, Today Is Your Day. I've Known You Since 2011 and a Decade Later, Your Heart, Soul, & Mind Are at Peace. It's Your Wedding Day

In my first cohort of tremendous Connecticut educators who attended the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University was a young teacher, Shaun Mitchell, who took work at Central High School in Bridgeport, and dreamed to take a role as the drama teacher. He was drawn to my 10-Minute Play Festival workshop and, because of his technology skills, I began hiring him for videography. You have to understand, he had an iPad before any of us knew what it was. By the end of the summer, we all had one.

Years passed, Shaun started the play festival with his own students, I followed his lead and he designed a program called PROJECT CITIZEN which took off to its award-winning accolades, and he quickly became a right hand man to all we did during the summer. I was there for his Beard Teacher Award and nomination for CT Teacher of the Year, and he was there for me for the Elizabeth Pfriem Award to Civic Excellence. Together, too, we've received grants, supported one another's teaching, and were quick to high-five when the time was right.

These times were usually at NCTE/NWP conferences where he was my roommate and I'd get caught up on his escapades, love life, dreams of marriage, frets, and family. He's always been a little brother and I think the world of him.

I'm thrilled to celebrate his wedding today with Jordan. I've yet to meet Jordan, but I've always known Shaun to be a romantic type, eyes in the clouds of Disney, and dreams for the greatest possibilities. I learned this when he was featured during a Yale Tedx Talk series, too. Shaun knew Jordan was the one, and because he took a role near Hartford and his dating life went bonanza with Jordan, CWP began to see less of Shaun, but he was loved just the same.

He is family.

I am so happy for his day today and can't wait to hear all about it (especially when CWP throws him a party before school kicks back off). 

Since the early days, Shaun and I have collaborated on numerous presentations, always offering one another cool writing and performance games to do with kids (he's come a long, long way since Chocolate Thunder). One of his games he taught us to play is the improvisational, alphabet-conversation game, which I'll play to finish out this post (and see where it takes me).

Bryan: Alright, Shaun. I see you. Well, I don't. But I can imagine the pacing you are doing right now.

Shaun: Bryan, I think I'm good. I know this is the one. I've known since I met him.

Bryan: Crazy. Seems like yesterday you were squirting chocolate milk all over middle school kids.

Shaun: Damn. You'll never let me forget that, will you?

Bryan: Except Grinder. I don't want to remember that. Was it DC when you were crazy on that thing?

Shaun: F#@#. You remember that? It was a phase. And phew, NCTE was a giant rainbow bonanza.

Bryan: God. Was that the time we had a dance party and all the CWP teachers were bouncing on our bed?

Shaun: Hell, yeah! Barb, Kim, Megan, Rich...even Dave. You and your bourbon. You do that to us.

Bryan: I would never do that? Bourbon? That just doesn't seem like me.

Shaun: Jackass, I associate you with bourbon....

Bryan: Knowledge has a beginning, but no end.

Shaun: Life lessons, man. Life lessons. What a wonderful ten years.

Bryan: Magical. Hard to believe all that we built in a decade. You've been at my side all along.

Shaun: No....you've been at my side. I was such a young puppy when I started teaching.

Bryan: Oh, I remember. You reminded me of me: passionate, focused, creative, pro-kid.

Shaun: People in the National Writing Project are always like this. We're a cult.

Bryan: Questions. We ask the right questions. We deliver few answers, but model ways to find them.

Shaun: Right. Teachers teaching teachers. We have each others' backs.

Bryan: Sir. We need to change this subject. You're getting married today. How are you feeling?

Shaun: To tell the truth. I couldn't be happier. This is what I've wanted for a long time.

Bryan: Understandable. We've roomed at NCTE for many years. I'm a good listener.

Shaun: Vaginal warts. You knew I had to say something inappropriate somewhere. You gave me V.

Bryan: Well, I had to set you up somewhere in this game. I know Vagina Monologues aren't your thing.

Shaun: Xactly. You know me well.

Bryan: You deserve today, Shaun. We love you and we know this will be your best performance ever.

Shaun: Zoom in on Jordan and me, today. Tomorrow. Always. You'll see exactly why this day matters.

And there you have it, the A-Z dialogue game. This time, not because we have an auditorium of kids waiting on our every word, but because this is a day for you. All of us are sending magic your way, the fireworks of Disne,y and the pixie dust of magical dreams. We appreciate you, Shaun Mitchell, and we look forward to meeting Jordan, too.