Moments Like These

Each day is a collection of moments. Many of these moments pass with little notice, deeming the passing hours as having small consequence - routine. Yet there are those significant moments, some in memory that cause pause before being recognized; and others --- deserve fanfare. Many educators refer to these fanfare moments as "Peak Learning Experiences." Sometimes deemed as "Aha" moments, we recognize that something special has just happened; some new insight occurred or an epiphany has struck. Those events are commonly associated with a significant emotional component. Such are the offerings in the following collection of poems. Most of the entries have some emotional attachment and something, or someone, special happened.

Eli (Lee) Ribich was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1941. He graduated from Hamtramck High School in 1958, then from Wayne State University in 1968 with a Bachelor's and later with a Master's Degree in Secondary Education. Throughout his formative years Lee felt a yearning for those things that a big city, midwestern life style didn't offer: Mountains, seashore, forests -- the stuff of poetry. The city did offer to Lee one of his inspirations, however: his wife, Gail. Together, Lee and Gail found Alaska where those early yearnings were realized and exceeded. The two taught in three Yupik Eskimo communities for five enriching years, then moved to Southeast Alaska to the fishing community of Petersburg. Lee taught English and Social Studies courses at Petersburg High School, sixth grade Physical Education, and coached junior varsity boys and girls varsity basketball. After retirement, Lee taught adult creative writing courses through University of Alaska, Southeast Extension Services. These small community experiences provided depth and richness to their lives, including two children and three grandchildren. Teaching, coaching, parenting, fishing, guiding, observing, loving all done in one of the world's more magnificent settings, Alaska--inspiration abounds.