Lessons Learned Quotes

“I had a long career. Four-plus decades in education. Though I felt the heat, I didn’t burn out, and I never got fired. I finished with my sanity, my self-respect, and my sense-of-humor intact. I was also decent at what I did right through my final day. These things are important because I’m somewhat surprised I survived. I’ve always had an Oedipus Rex-ian fear of, excuse my language (and the pun), fucking things up:

Let every man in mankind's frailty consider his last day; and let none presume on
his good fortune until he finds life, at his death, a memory without pain.
—Sophocles, Oedipus the King.

But I didn’t, and despite some adversity, I made it. I finished. I hope you do as well.

from the essay, Seek Thyself”
― Michael F. Burke, Lessons Learned: A Teacher and Coach Reflects

“All that is not tragedy is comedy.

One advantage of looking back is appreciating that so much of what could have been tragedy ends up comedy.
As I mentioned, I don’t remember this story. What I do remember is it being told so often because it was funny. They could have killed me, but they didn’t. They had no malicious intent. Their decisions were purely pragmatic. And everything turned out okay.
Yes, learn from the experience—one reason to keep re-telling the story—but don’t obsess over an outcome that didn’t occur. Sometimes—most times—it’s best to laugh and shake our heads at the absurdity of it all.
--from the essay, "Moonshine”
― Michael F. Burke, Lessons Learned: A Teacher and Coach Reflects