A Note From My Desk

Just a quick note. A friend commented how they enjoyed the little notes that I added to each of your stories.

I must give credit where credit is due. While I didn't realize it at first, it hit me one day that my decision to add this feature was strangely familiar. Suddenly, I heard a soft voice; then I could see in my mind's eye that sweet gentle smile. It was Mrs. Betty Hodgden, my Humanities professor in college. How I remember her encouragement on each and every assignment I wrote for her class. And there were many!

All that to say, she planted this seed of encouragement deep into my soul in my young life. I never dreamed I would be in her shoes one day.

So with each comment I make on your stories, please know they come from my heart and are meant to be helpful on your writing journey. I love you all so much!

NOTE: I just went Online and found a little treat that will reflect just a measure of who this wonderful lady was in the lives of many students and staff at Shawnee State University. Just to clarify, while I started out at Shawnee, I moved on to Ohio University and graduated from there.

Ms. Betty HodgdenAssociate Professor Emeritus

Betty Hodgden, Associate Professor of English, was employed by Shawnee State University and its predecessor institutions from 1965 until 1995. Ms. Hodgden was a beloved and outstanding teacher as evidenced by consistently exemplary student evaluations, by superior supervisory evaluations, by numerous letters of support and appreciation from former students and colleagues. Ms. Hodgden presented papers regularly at scholarly meetings as well as numerous published articles and papers in professional journals. Ms. Hodgden served on numerous University committees and devoted countless hours in providing workshops and seminars in public schools and the community. Ms. Hodgden was so committed to Shawnee State University that she left her entire estate to the Humanities Department. For these and many more reasons the Shawnee State University in Resolution 22-96 bestowed, posthumously, the title of Associate Professor Emeritus on Ms. Betty Hodgden.

My heart teared up just thinking about her and realizing that I never took the time to go back and give her a hug with my words before she passed away. My challenge: Let us not let another day escape us that we don't share our appreication to someone who made an impact on our lives.

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