Pittston Dispatch // PD Columnists // Ed Ackerman - Optimist

Sunday October 11, 2009 | 01:00 AM

I came this close to playing hookey Wednesday. To picking up the phone and telling an answering machine at the college I was claiming one of the nearly 200 sick days I’ve built up.

But I couldn’t and I can explain why in one word: guilt.

Blame it on my mother, or better still, on her mother. My grandmother’s favorite thing to do was to recite the rosary. Her second was to go to confession. How do you think I built up 200 sick days in the first place?

The reason I wanted to take the day off was lying on the passenger seat next to me as I drove down Route 81 for my 8 a.m. class: three books, all demanding to be read. As I looked at them I felt a headache coming on. Probably my sinuses, I thought.

But I caught myself. I knew what I was doing. I was making myself sick so I could stay home Thursday, legitimately.

But I really didn’t want to do that either, so I made the headache go away.

See, the reason I needed a day off – the books – and the reason I needed to be at the college – aside from the guilt – were actually one in the same: my students. My students had given me these books – presented them is a better word – and I not only felt obligated to read them, but after sampling a few pages of each, I really, really wanted to.

Plus, in addition to these three, I’m accumulating a list of others, also recommended by students. They add to it every day. And it could be worse. What if I hadn’t already read The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Jonathan Livingston Seagull and the creepy House of Leaves – all also presented to me? I’d need a whole week off.

What surprised me about the three riding along with me was that I was tempted to do something I’d never done before. That is, to read more than one book at the same time. I know a lot of people who do that but I could never understand how. If I became immersed in one I always felt as though I were cheating on the other. I mentioned that to one of the students and he said he knew what I meant. “Yeah,” he said, “you wind up giving one of them a sympathy read.”

But with these three it was different. When contemplating taking the sick day, I pictured myself reading all three at the same time as though I were eating a meal. One might be the entree – a nice piece of salmon. Another the baked potato. The third, steamed cauliflower. I’d nibble a little of one, take a forkful of the other. You get the idea.

That’s what I wanted to do. As it was, I knew I’d be reading my usual way: one at a time and losing a good deal of sleep.

I hesitate to mention the books because they are not what this is about, but since you are most likely curious, here goes.

One is Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, which I emphatically do not recommend. This guy has disturbingly keen insight into the human psyche but his writing is … let me see … “disgusting” is not the right word, but it’s the first one that comes to mind. Don’t read this book. If you do, don’t blame me.

The second is Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies and the Truth about Reality by Brad Warner. (Did I mention these were given to me by college students?) Don’t read this one, either. Unless you are up for questioning everything you believe in.

The third is Things Fall Apart by Chinua Acehebe. This one I do recommend. But be forewarned, you’ll struggle to pronounce the Nigerian names, as you will the very author’s.

But, as I said, this is not about the books. It’s about the students.

It’s about students recommending these books along with dozens of others.

It’s about students looking over a list of “101 Books You Should Read Before You Die” and saying, almost casually, “I’ve already more than read half of them.”

It’s about students discussing politics. And philosophy. And world affairs.

It’s about students discussing art and music – classical in the same breath as punk rock and heavy metal – and, believe it or not, even history.

It’s about students challenging their teachers and backing up their arguments with good, solid facts.

And, perhaps surprisingly, it’s about today’s community college students.

Last chance college?

Forget that.

Students who have the academic chops to get into almost any university in the country are showing up in droves at community colleges. And they are instantly raising the bar for everyone else.

Blame the economy. Or, as I’m doing, thank it.

Teaching at LCCC has never been more fun. Or more challenging.

Lucky me. Lucky all of us.