Jitters

Jitters

Noel Laflin

8-15-18

We’ll be hosting a good friend in just a few of weeks, and in the process doing an interview that I have both been looking forward to, and am yet nervous about.

I am not sure why I am nervous, as the subject we’ll be discussing is one of my favorite people, Jack Schlatter, a former junior high teacher of mine.

Saying that Jack was just a former teacher is ludicrous of course, as he was also my friend. Those who knew him understand this. For those who never had the good fortune of meeting him, well, you’ll just have to take my word for it – and the word of probably ten thousand others, as Jack touched a lot of lives.

Mark Till has had this idea of making a documentary about Jack Schlatter for a very long time and has been traveling both the length and depth of the country conducting interviews all summer. He has shared teasing moments of some already, and the pieces shown thus far have been both amazing and touching.

And my turn to get on my own stage will soon be here. Just like junior high all over again - butterflies in the gut the night before the speech tournament or play.

I guess I am nervous as I want to do right by my old mentor.

There is so much ground to cover.

Do I speak of the influence he had on my life as a youngster, or as a man who looked in the mirror one day and saw that he was suddenly sixty and about to see his old teacher again after a forty year absence?

Do I stick to the humorous aspects of Jack or the serious?

There’s going to be a mix I suppose.

Regardless, Mark says not to prepare – he’ll ask the questions.

Oh, good, as I would be hard pressed to know where to even begin.

All I hope is that the former youngster, as well as the older man both make an appearance when the lights come up and the camera rolls. They may be both looking for Jack standing in the wings and offering a prompt if needed.