Michael F. Burke > Quotes > Quote > Michael shared it

“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