The secret society.

We carry two bags.

We have special titles that nobody but those in our domain would use.

We have signals for groups, unique to our location but common in purpose.

We carry chart paper.

We carry red pens or highlighter's wherever we go.

We sit in the subway at 6:30 in the morning, iPod in and dressed for a wonderful but lengthy day.

We have purpose in our eyes, intention in our walk, seriousness in our stance.

We shop at our own stores.

We are teachers.

It is strange how much being a teacher reminds me of a secret society.  Every day, we walk amongst the others, cognizant that we are all something slightly different.

Whenever I meet another person, be it at a coffee shop, outside a street vendor, or on the subway, there is something in our demeanors- perhaps a special hormone that the profession forces us to develop- that we recognize in each other.  A special openness to others, a keenness for explanation, or a love of learning something new.

And when we see that we are both teachers, it is as if we understand the depth of each other at a new level, without saying a word.  

It feels like a fraternity.  (I cannot speak for veterans, but I wonder if they have a similar feeling.)  It provides the joy of community, the solace of not being alone, the energy of a greater purpose.

What would happen if we could bring that feeling to every person as an American, or as a human?  How could the world change if we felt that community with every person we met?