We set out on the task of interviewing Mrs. Erickson, the French teacher who we all have had at least once in our years here at Crowther. Once we found her in the office, we all went back to her classroom and got settled in. There was little conversation and we jumped right into the questions.

We kicked things off with “How long have you been a resident of Strathmore?”

It didn’t take her long to answer. “A long time, about 30 years.” We marveled at the answer and asked our next question.

“What is your favorite thing to do, out side of teaching?”

She quickly answered, “Well, I like to golf. I love gardening in my garden at home, and I enjoy curling.  I’ve also started skiing again, but only when it’s a nice winter day.  No freezing days for me!” After a small discussion on the subject, we got back on track with our next question.

“What world leader/figure do you admire, and why?”

She sat thinking for a moment and then gave us her answer. “I don’t admire any one specific person. I admire any person who works towards world peace and non-

discrimination.” She laughed and said “I want everyone to just get along!” We all shared a laugh on that note, and continued on.

“If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? And why?”

Mrs. Erickson didn’t hesitate, and had an answer for us quickly. “I would go back to the Greek Islands.  But this time I would have a lot more money tan the last time I was there!  If it was any other place, it would be sunny and warm. I would have to be able to wear flip flops.” The two of us nodded in agreement and kept the questions coming.

“Why are you such a huge Calgary Flames fan, since you were born in Montreal?”

She laughed at the question before responding. “I am a huge Flames fan for a few reasons. The red mile, I love the excitement. My family knows the Sutters and you gotta cheer for the town you live in.  Montreal is still the best though!!”.  I gave her a bit of a hard time about it but we all laughed and got back on task.

“Everyone loves music. So tell us about the type of music you listen to, and your most memorable concert.”

Mrs. Erickson didn’t have to think very hard before answering. “I listen to classic rock and country music. My most memorable concert was the Rolling Stones. It was a lot of fun. And those old guys can still rock!” The three of us had a short conversation on the matter and then we asked our final question.

“If you could date any famous person in the world who would it be and why?”.

She replied with no doubt in her mind on which person it was. “Johnny Depp.” We all laughed and let her continue. “I would date him because 1. He is hot  2. He plays a great pirate and 3. He based his character off of Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.  What more could I want?!”
Tamara and I laughed at this and thanked her for her time.

Obviously a well traveled woman, Ms. Erickson has a lot more to her than a second language.  She cares about making the world a better place, while still having a good time supporting her community or her favorite rock icons.