Who Cares How the Jaguar Feels? Maybe the Jaguar Does

I am grateful that my friend Karen passed along this bit of news today or I would not have known -- one of our favorite high school teachers had died.  It is not exactly sad news since she lived beyond 94 years, and I think that is something to be celebrated!

 

The 'she' is Sister Marguerite Tarleton, one of my English teachers at Saint Paul Catholic High School.  Sister Margueite was a petite woman and already getting up there in age when she taught us. Sadly, we probably weren't always as respectful and attentive as we should have been but that's how 16 & 17 year old kids sometimes behave.

 

She had a habit of reciting literary passages aloud to us and then when she got to a 'bad word' or a suggestive passage, she would go silent, and we would read that to ourselves. You can imagine the giggles this practice elicited from teenagers. She was also prone to repetition.

 

Honestly, to this day when I hear the name Sister Marguerite, I immediately think of one line that she must have repeated 1 if not 100 times:

 

"Who cares how the jaguar feels?  Maybe, the jaguar does!"  Again, we probably giggled and I know I can't be alone in that association with the phrase.  But countless times over the years, I have thought about how perfect a line it is and what a beautiful credo to hold to. Sister Marguerite was one smart cookie and she knew what she was doing!

 

For me it's a take on 'walk a mile in someone else's shoes' rolled together with 'do unto others as you would have done to you' together with 'treat people and animals with respect'!  I wish I could have seen her again later in life and told her what a great teacher she was! 

 

I will admit, I had to look up the passage to see what work it comes from -- The Most Dangerous Game, by Richard Connell.  I printed out a copy online and I'm going to re-read it this week.

 

So, here's to Sister Marguerite Tarleton (and to all those wonderful teachers out there)...thank you!