There are some teachers whose lessons stay with you for a lifetime. Mrs. Strickland was one of those teachers, and I knew even as a child that I was lucky to have her. The news of her death hit Facebook (and my grade school group chat) this week, and when I sat down to put to words what she did for us, I realized that I’d already done this in an entire chapter of Bad Vibes Only, excerpted below. And still, I think it falls short of the impact she made on this world. Rest in Peace, Mrs. Strickland. Thank you for giving so many kids the gift of earnestness and effort and creating without self-consciousness. What a gift. What a gift. What a gift.