Formula (Bag) for Success

     I take Tim to the Metro every morning at 5:45 am. We figure that we can save some money on gas and wear and tear on our Suburban if he takes the train to work in the morning. One afternoon I noticed the bag he stuffed all of his important "teacher" papers into as well as a  massive chemistry textbook, his sweater, and his lunch. It was a fairly large black vinyl bag with beige trim on the top. Up near the top zipper was a small tag that read "Enfamil LIPIL."
       Hmm....I pondered. Tim is a veteran teacher who has teaching credentials in life and physical sciences. The range of topics he's taught includes, but is not limited to: biology, chemistry, geology, algebra, physics, geometry, health education, and driver's education (I know - that last one's hard to believe but true). He's usually at school earlier than most teachers and leaves later than the rest. He works year round and teaches before the bell rings to signal that class has begun and is still shouting out last minute instructions as his students leave the class room. His department chair described this scene and I totally believed it. He pours dozens of hours into preparing to teach a newer subject, with detailed, publisher-worthy notes to help his students digest the materials more easily. His students' scores on state standardized tests are the highest of any teacher in his department. This is significant in itself. With a student population of almost 5,000 and over 20 teachers in his science department, I was impressed, but not surprised to learn this fact.Tim is an accomplished and well-respected teacher. And despite his boyish smile and quirky charm, at almost 6'4" with broad shoulders, he's a commanding presence in the classroom, too.

     And he carries a diaper bag to work.

     As he wrestled his diaper bag into our gas-saving little gray Corolla several times this week, I couldn't resist making a couple of comments about it when I picked him up from the Metro station.
     "Hi honey. How are you? Did you have enough formula for the day?" or
      "Hey Tim. How was your day? No one decked you on the streets of East LA as you carried a diaper bag to work, did they?" I was quick to reassure him, however, that he was manly enough to pull off a diaper bag briefcase. I let him know that his masculinity was not at all affected by his choice of carrying bags. After all, he is a Modern Man.
     The puzzled look on his face, slight shrug of the shoulders, and tired silence indicated to me that he didn't care about his choice of a carrying receptacle for his school stuff. Do you think I offered to buy him, let's say, for Father's Day, a well-appointed briefcase or a stately-looking canvas satchel? Nah. He would've declined it immediately for the following reasons:
1)Tim is very pragmatic. His diaper bag is perfectly capable of performing the job he needs it to. Why spend money if you don't have to?
2)It's not pink, floral, or frilly.
3)He is the ultimate absent-minded professor if there ever was one.
4)He is the father of six girls. Need I say more?
    

     No wonder I adore him!