Mr. C. & Me

Growing up is a challenge! Especially for an effervescent, full of life, live for the moment curly-haired boy who wants to soak up everything life offers-but whose teachers have other priorities.

Hi, I'm Chris Forman. Four decades later, the words above still describe me (minus the hair). I admit, I was a handful. Usually mischievous. Occasionally charming. And nearly always misunderstood.

With dozens of adults working at my elementary school, only one understood me. Mr. Clifferd, the school custodian. I often visited his office (the boiler room). He always knew just what to say and how to lift me up. Mr. C.'s lessons shaped my life.

Today, we find ourselves in a chaotic world. Social ills run rampant. Climate change threatens our survival. A global pandemic shook the world. And yet the quiet wisdom of a long-retired custodian echoes across the decades with profundity. His message remains more relevant today than ever before.

Join me for a joyful journey through my childhood. You'll meet some mean teachers and a bunch of my crazy (and oddly named) classmates. Best of all, you'll meet the amazing Mr. C. and learn from this common man's uncommon wisdom. We'll share a few tears. And have lots of laughs. (Take it from a kid whose antics earned him a permanent home in the principal's office).

I can't wait for you to meet Mr. C. You're going to love him. And he just might change your life, too.