roll call: Mr. Gold

Mr. Gold may very well be the person i respect and admire the most at work. granted there is a lot to be said for what i don't know because of the language barrier, but regardless, he's got a good head on his shoulders and he really cares about the kids at school. they might not realize it, but he cares so much about them and doing what's in their best interest. of course, he's still super strict and frequently yells at students in the staff room when they misbehave, but it's because he cares. he expects a lot of them and i respect that.

he was my phys. ed. teacher when i was a student. i still remember one day we were playing softball and he said, "how many people are lefthanded and need a lefty glove?" i raised my hand. he looked at me in complete shock and exclaimed, "you understood japanese! you are amazing. here, get a lefty glove." while it may seem like such a little thing, i was so proud to have impressed him. and i continue to crave his attention and approval now.

he is one of the busier teachers in the middle school, being the coach of a nationally ranked swim team, in charge of how many other who knows whats, but he always has time to laugh and joke and talk to me. we joke around a lot and he always comments on how awesome i am for always trying to improve my japanese. and he calls me "you" in really crude japanese, considering we are coworkers, but it's somehow comforting. he likes me enough to be overly casual. other teachers call me "jo" or "jo-sensei," but for some reason he is different.

he is a little rough around the edges, but is definitely one of the most sincere people i've met. when you get past the hard exterior, he has a heart that matches the gold chain around his neck.