Scott Gaglione and Morgan Gaglione

00:03 I have some my name is Morgan gaglione. I'm 20 and today is October 23rd 2018 and I'm here with my dad at story corpse in Atlanta doing this for his birthday.

00:17 My name is Scott gaglione. I'm 40 years old. Today is October Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018 or here at storycorps Atlanta and I'm with my daughter Morgan. So that heart how are you doing? Are you excited for herbicide directly to a list of questions and I think this is

00:58 All of these questions are important for me to find out but I think the one that's most I guess.

01:05 Not necessarily important, but what will be the most interesting for this point of my life because I am a junior in college has when and why did you decide to become a teacher? So, you know I come from a family of teachers right by your grandpa. My dad was a teacher my aunt Uncle teachers.

01:27 But I really didn't settle on being a teacher until.

01:33 Ironically my

01:37 Sophomore or junior year of high school. I can remember so, you know, I went to private school in Buffalo. St. Joe's and we had a volunteer project we had to do until a friend of mine Chris and I volunteered at a daycare center downtown in Buffalo and I started working in the three and four-year-olds room. Yeah that was thinking back to it. Right. Now. The first thing that comes to mind is the smell which was an interesting thing. You know, I'm 15 16 years old and after being at school all day and then coming to deal with these rambunctious three and four-year-olds. And so we we we ordered ordered the project that was 40 hours long. And so we would do it two hours a day 3 days a week.

02:34 Cuz we had hockey practice with people play hockey. So we talked to you as well so we can do it every day, and it was supposed to be done in one semester and it finished and I enjoyed it so much and had such a great time that I actually continue to do it in the following semester.

02:55 And

02:57 I think what I realized during that time was the

03:02 The infinite curiosity of of children and the ability for them to take anything that it might be stressing you out side of where you are at that point and just

03:16 Just make everything is okay. And it really to me open up my eyes. I cried when I can get paid to do this. So you're saying that that I go to college and I practice some and then I can do this for my living and get paid pretty well. And so I started to talk to him with my mom your grandma about it. And I don't think she was terribly surprised. I think she just like with you we kind of always kind of always can do that that I was a teacher at heart. I think she was surprised when I asked about continuing on into the spring semester, but I think that after I talk to her one night said, I really think I want to be a teacher and it all kind of clicked for so that's

04:07 That's kind of when I decided I wanted to be a teacher and in the other funny thing is so fast forward 18 months after that. I go to college and my major is Elementary education, which makes sense and I I'll never forget. You know, we had so I went to school Baldwin Wallace outside of Cleveland and we had an experience course that every freshman on campus took in your group with your major. So I was I was with other Elementary Ed folks and one of my professors was my advisor who's also teach this class until we went around introduced ourselves and said ideally in 30 years what he can be doing and I straight-faced.

04:51 No lies looked at her and said and 30 years. I'm going to retire from teaching kindergarten and she's like really and I said, yeah, I'm going to graduate teach kindergarten for 30 years and I'm going to ride off into the sunset and she's like, I'm sure about that. I'm like 100% sure the car and I guarantee you will make it more than 3 I mean at 3 and then I as you know when I'm in first grade and then but then I went back to kindergarten for three more middle school. So I was in the classroom in the mornings with you and that's what I was like. Oh this could be really fun to get to do this every day. So that's when it started. Well, I mean, but you grew up in school like I all of my Summers I was like, I mean pre-planning I was planning and like we had the little group of all of my friends and all their parents or teachers like there is Samantha Baker and the elves kids and Jean of ice and Daniel Graves until we were always there and it was like,

05:51 Most kids like went to like the beach for the stuff. We like have the rolly chair races up and down the hallways and we tormented like me tour that came apart just regularly. You can go on back further than that to remember when you were in pre-k and I was in my first year teaching kindergarten and in Fulton County and you were in the building until you come with me in the morning I would have to do your hair too, would be working at Starbucks and I have to do your hair. I'd actually considering I don't have any did pretty good job. I thought how far right but then and after school to

06:33 Leaving strict instructions when I have to leave you in the room to go to like a meeting at I do not walk out of this room to not show anything do not touch anything. Basically just sit here and breathe. What did I usually do? When I was that age in the classroom like after school like to play in the area and you also you like to draw paint stuff like that which again I mean it was perfect cuz there's a kindergarten room going to do during your free time. Anyways was in that room. That's why I wasn't in like an upper grade outfits where you been bored and then when your brother started coming to and it really became

07:22 Then that's when the the the wheelie chair and then I remember when you were teaching kindergarten you left us after school one day to go to a meeting and we can't Riley and I ended up making Riley into the mop cops already put his hoodie up and I was dragging him around the class.

07:44 He was just like having the time of his life. He thought it was so funny. I'm glad I wasn't for you. Like how your shoes would sound. So like when we heard you coming, he would always run them like get a bug and I would sit on the other side of the room pretend like I haven't been doing any.

08:15 The more things change the more they stay the same with you to delete like over the summer. I actually slept around the first floor of the house because he remembered this and he was like being do it again and I feel like this is not going to work because you are a giant now when I read it when you were still teaching he was maybe the second or third grade and third grade because instructional technology has probably second grade because I was still in middle school. I usually wasn't there at after school. I do remember when you picked me up like I think it was just as grade. I would like run out of my last. Class and

09:15 Book it up that hill from Piney as fast as I could so I could catch the end of the world because it ended at like I don't live in freshman year cuz it's so its 3:45 and I was hustling cuz I wanted to hear the end of it. If I've done nothing else by juice wrld your mother and I have done that right? You know, it's your mom that got me into so Mom and I started dating.

09:55 And she was living with fish and some other somebody else and I'll never forget like the first time she put on wbfo Buffalo 88.7

10:11 Read 8.1. Either way, I never listen to it. What do you think? I listen to Sports Basement Sports app. That's all I listen to in Buffalo and then she got me she started listening to in the morning and I'll never forget the first time. I heard Carl Kasell do doing a news top of the hour Atlanta that I'd find out was what's the local NPR

10:52 When I when I was traveling with work, if you up until this past summer, that was one of my favorite thing to do was to find local gas stations around like wait a minute. Wait. Wait, don't tell me he's done at 9 here. It's supposed to be on at 10 cuz that's what time it sounds wav and and somebody was always fun. Like I always always enjoy doing that or when we would drive up to Buffalo. Yeah little that's not what I would do that. We find local NPR stations as we drove up into when I was younger and I'll be in the car with Mom. She would always like play sativa whenever I was in the car with you we would always have NPR on or that one sports.

11:38 What does mean? Yeah, I was with his face. It was either those two when I moved away for college a lot of my friends like I would just listen to NPR and if you like, what is this? I was like like what are you what are you talkin in PR and then like a handful of bands and that was it like that was what we listen to I don't know what to tell you there were times. So, I'm sure you remember those that that mom had to ask me to not play NPR when you get in the car specifically your brother. Yeah.

12:19 Storms coming yeah, because he was always with storms and then like

12:27 When like a nice school shooting and then like if there was like

12:34 A gruesome amount of detail about like something going on another country will even more of that his mind just run and he would be convinced and you know class if I forward 8 hours for Mom would be up with something because he would be convinced that whatever happened there was happening in our house or in his school until that's really what it was and I always understood that make sense when I was younger, Well, I'm going to have a driveway. Why are you sitting in your home? Like we can go inside and like played out and then every time I've had a driveway moments in some like I get it I get it like I think the last one I had it was

13:32 It was some author they were interviewing and I was like I cannot leave my car right now. Like I could not and I had to like drive around the neighborhood because where I park in the driveway, I don't get like really good radius service. So I was just driving of moops until it finished because it was good because I think it really helped shape who I am as a person that's very weird sense. Will it also

14:05 It's part of who you are. I mean you and your brother to to an extent are both you're both fascinated with with history. And you know, if anything teaches us about what's going on right now in the world that it's it's the past until with your deep. Love of History came for me and not your mom or I will say you did come from your mom's over thankful for that.

14:34 I mean, I don't know. I just feel that as a parent and one of my jobs is to to raise and children that are productive members of society that are aware of what's going on that don't stick their head in the sand pretty easy to just want to stick your head in the sand. Sometimes. But like I remember when I turned 18 and I was like so excited because I registered to vote in my freshman-year roommate. She was like why he's like, why are you so excited about this and I was like like this is a huge thing. I can vote now and she was like, yeah, but like 20 once the really exciting birthday and I was like, yeah put 21 wouldn't be an option for us if we didn't have the right to vote if you think about it like you have to vote.

15:34 Before you can and I was like really excited. I like even now with them the governor election coming up like November 6th. Julie and I are making plans to go vote together and then we're going to get coffee after no that was one of mine. The best things in my life was when I got you and I want to vote it was one of those moments where you just kind of like

16:02 Does the real thing like, you know growing up? I always thought I'd have kids I loved like

16:13 I had cousins that were younger but I also had an older cousins like much older cousins who had their own kids. And so I was always around younger kids grown up and I enjoyed them and I always thought I'd have kids now. I didn't think I was going to have you at 20 but I always knew I was going to have a kid and I always look forward to those milestones in life. First day of school graduation College voting was one of them and when you asked if I would go with you I was like, alright then and then

16:50 I think we ran into like a friend of yours. Yeah, we did Texas or something and I was going over to his house and he was like, I haven't seen you like since we graduated high school. I know like we caught up and he was like, so is that your dad and I was like, yeah and he was like you guys came in front of the other like that's awesome. And I was like, yeah like it's awesome because like when I vote in the election I had to do an absentee ballot, which is so cool. Like that's an option but that's not the same as all the buttons and it was really the sticker that messed me up because I thought you would get like a like a confirmation letter like your folks and count it hears your sticker.

17:47 I got nothing except the pleasure of voting and not and not many people your age do that, which is crazy to me. Yes, I know.

18:10 Yeah, because even what what year is it 2018 so a hundred years ago. I wouldn't have even been able to vote. So like the fact that I can and I have friends that just don't it's cuz it's it's about priorities and if they don't feel that it's important or that their vote matters, which you hear a lot better than how do you lose anything by voting?

18:39 But I just I don't feel like that at the time that it takes to go and vote is is a worthwhile investment for them. If they don't feel like it means anything. I mean, it's important. I think we've seen in the last 4 years what happens when people don't vote by myself. Now you can come with me and Jillian. Okay. She texted her after I woke up from my nap and I was like hell the cutest thing just having like I woke up from a nap and my dad covered me in a blanket and I was so sweet and she was like, we love Scott but it was like a typo and she smelled it scoot. So you just probably jokingly call you mister scoot. I'll let you know before I covered you with that blanket. I was momentarily upset.

19:38 She left the house at 4:30. It's all right, I'll cover up and I was also late sending in perspective because as you know, I left my sleep and but I don't get my sleep.

20:15 Okay, is there so you said that like drowned rats he kind of knew that you're going to be a teacher because of who you are. Just like how you and Mom knew that her know that I was going to be a teacher. What was it do you think in you and then in me that made you and Mom and then gravity?

20:36 Think that if that makes sense.

20:43 Hey teachers have first-day-of-issue charts, right? They're very giving of themselves and they're very selfless. And I think that for a 20 year old.

20:57 You are very selfless.

21:00 The 30 probably definitely not selfless, but for 20 year old college student. You're very selfless and very giving of your time. So I think that's number one. I think.

21:14 Your willingness to two always did pitch in and help anyone.

21:22 I think also you have an innate ability to take subjects that are difficult for people to understand and make them easy voice and it's it's a it's a rare skill.

21:40 I always think back to

21:45 Coaches that I had grown up playing hockey that were really good hockey players, but horrible coaches because they didn't understand what it was what it meant to work through things to get to where they wanted to be. So I think that great teachers aren't always the ones with the most knowledge. I think great teachers of the ones that that connect with their students and have that relationship would understand what it's like to be in their shoes. And then that's an easy thing to lose sight of I've worked obviously with a lot of teachers in my ear too much in my life and a lot of teachers forget what it's like to be on the other side and I think you have that ability regardless of the situation. It doesn't even have to be in academics. It could be you just your ability to empathize with other people.

22:40 And I think you know, you're just you're so.

22:45 Dedicated like when you

22:48 Like if you set your mind on something like in this is going back to when you were a toddler like it didn't matter. Like if you had in your mind that you were going to get the rainbow goldfish. We tried to give you the plain orange goldfish. If you had to climb into the pantry yourself, you would get those dang rainbow goldfish. Like you're you're very determined young woman. And as your father, that's probably one of your traits that I am most proud of you for because it's I think it's important your mom and I talked a lot about one thing that the mom doesn't do well for herself is

23:33 What's a promotion but it's it's being able to stand up for what you want for yourself and your mom and I work really hard to help you develop that and when you marry that with with your personality and your stubbornness switch

23:53 Which will come in handy and it's okay, it frustrates us sometimes but taking the Long View and thinking to when you're not on your own, which is hard to think but we know it's coming to kick you in your brother out.

24:20 And

24:22 Not surprisingly. I was a little bit more lenient than Mom.

24:28 She said 25 what if she's in grad school and is working and wants to pay off loans. Can she stay till 27 just like nope, and she would let me stay until like 30k. I will email your brother will be out the door and 3-second. He turns 18 and up in New England and play a key somewhere on his own.

25:16 That's just the way it is. I'll just I'll just look for grad schools that are near where he's playing hockey so he can escape us, you know, you don't understand. I mean, you probably do understand but you don't always see the impact you have on him. And I know the six years different time differences is challenging but it's gotten nicer the older we've gotten though. I would say so I mean

25:46 Do you both value each other and you both cultivate that relationship, you know, I've said this before and I'll say it again. It's the hardest job I've ever had.

26:02 Well, simultaneously being the most rewarding job I've ever had absolutely absolutely. I mean, they're just it's so hard because you can think you're doing everything right and then in one split-second a decision that you or your brother makes can just throw everything out the window.

26:21 But at the same time being able to watch you to grow into the remarkable people you are is

26:31 Spreading special I can only imagine cuz like watching Riley grow up and like a lot of times I've cried because I'm just so proud of him. I can only imagine that it's like even more intense when it's like your kid will inform you don't forget my mom never had that you know, she saw it she got to see me until I Was Eighteen so I know whenever my dad really didn't have that he passed when I was six so

27:02 I'm just I'm very appreciative of all the time that I get to spend with you guys because I learned the hard way that that you don't know when it's gone. So just and cherish every moment and

27:18 Be present being aroused and I extension mom to wear a good pair. You're like a really weird pair, but if it wasn't for her and by extension you I don't know where where I'd be. I mean, I'm sure I've told you the stories. I mean when

27:53 When mom found out she was pregnant with you. I mean I was I was like borderline failing out of school and

28:05 Took sometimes I'm a little maybe I'm where your stubbornness comes from. I think you definitely are but her mom, that's just talking to.

28:18 I finished College 4 semesters in around the dean's list and that's all because of you. Well, it was it was so Buried and Me think about honey, so

28:37 But that does not have six right my step dad gets injured in the crane accident when I was 14.

28:46 I just don't math. Yes when I was 14, okay?

28:51 The two years later. So I'm 16 now 94. I had my colon removed. You've had that until I'm thankful for that. I don't know if you know that I like I know that when we found out that I had fat you like I think from what I saw you felt really guilty about it, but I think you should know that I'm thankful that I have it not just because I get to make a lot of colon jokes, but I think and I have a cold but also I think it's because if I I mean, I'm sure something else would have happened. That would have put me on the path. I'm on but I think if I hadn't gone through my surgery in the middle of high school, I would have been a very different person. I don't think I would have liked a person as much.

29:44 Well

29:45 First of all, and you're right it crush me. I mean, I knew I knew when when Mom told me she was pregnant too. I knew there was a good chance that you would have the disease and when we got the blood work back and was

30:04 Confirm. I mean it it was solely from me. It wasn't one of those things like that. You guys told me the thing I got most upset about. Yes, if you have to get Freddy out and I was wearing those like Bermuda denim shorts. I loved and I had on a white T-shirt with Snoopy on it and I spilled my froyo I'll see if you share it with you like expensive. I was like 5, but I was in seventh grade and I think that was like that's what I was most upset about.

30:38 But I think

30:41 I think that was the universe's way of saying hey, it's it's all right, you're going to spill on yourself. And you know what, you're going to be all right out of your trees of the resiliency that

30:56 Which Tumi ranks up there with my favorite attributes of you as a person is your resiliency in your ability to bounce back and and I know you're going through a tough time now and they're tough.

31:11 Parts of days, but then I open Twitter and I see you post a tweet this morning. Awful time and yep to make it a great day, even though you're not struggling yourself, so it's being able to be a witness to that.

31:29 It doesn't make me happy that you have the disease, but

31:35 You've handled it in a way that not many people your age. Kotov and made you a better person because of it being that I'm thankful that I have it.

31:47 And I know it's a weird. It's a weird thing to like.

31:52 Think about especially since you gave it to me, but but I think you should know that like I'm glad I have it and I don't want you to think that I like resent you for giving it to me or anything like that. I'm actually quite thankful. I have it because a I cannot imagine not knowing dr.liu skills and immaturity that I don't know if I would have had otherwise and that's getting me farther in life. Then things I've seen in my friends who are dealing with a similar things. I am in their kind of just stepping back and they're letting

32:32 Their castles take over them wasn't the fact that you're able to recognize the benefits of such a

32:42 Unfortunate situation speaks to the maturity level that you have and it's

32:47 It's very moving to me to hear you say that because you're right at the not a day goes by that. I don't kick myself in and I can one level I can say that and I can I can tell myself that but

33:07 Add another level it's it's still a fact and nothing is going to change that. But if you think about it in perspective of you and your dad.

33:16 Thank you, Karen. I don't think you'd resent him for it, you know and you're right I never did but it'd be easier not to have it. But I was I mean I I I never sent to my dad for it, but

33:35 I'm the one that gave it to you. So it's a different like I understand like when the tables were turned. I didn't resent my dad, but the fact that you know it came from you still I still hard so hard for me to to deal with to this day and you're like knack for history and you're very weird sense of humor.

34:04 Because I keep making the nuts joke every time you take cash and every single time I was like why cuz I was making too much noise. Hell, yeah also gave me your job hold teeth and all that that goes along with five other. Ancillary benefits back to my question list with us. We have strayed so far from that's okay. I won't think about it too much.

34:54 Okay, if you could hold onto one memory from your life forever, what would it be and why?

35:03 Just one

35:05 33 so I think one one will be the night that I met your mom.

35:19 Yeah, but it was after her birthday cuz she was on Colorado for Herbert her 21st birthday. My brother took me out and her brother took her out and

35:32 You know by Axwell took me like 2 months to call her.

35:44 And but I think that I would hold on to that memory forever because of that led me to you and to your brother. Cooper and just to a life that I never could have dreamed of it at that time like the day before I met your mom. I never ever thought they I would have made it past 25 let alone had the Fantastic family in life that I have today. Let alone be in Atlanta which is a whole nother thing, like 5. So as you know, my dad was a teacher and on Saturdays, he would bring us into BOCES where he taught my two brothers and I and he would be working and we would be playing with cars in the hallway in the hallway and I can one of my only memories of my dad is is taking cars and jamming them under the door and

36:44 Being on the other side is it's a real fuzzy memory, but it's one of the only memories I have my dad. So I think that would be one I would hold on to.

36:55 And I think pause the third on the be folding with you. That's all the way up there. Probably won't be able to cuz he won't want to but now if I do it will join that because

37:12 Because it's everything is come full circle.

37:17 When I was 18 to to where you guys are at 18 then if I have if I have kids I'll let you come with us when we go vote will make a whole thing of it or something cuz you're not having kids anytime. No, just my cat.

37:37 We go with the cat again, though. I don't have a choice. You don't want to see you anything. If this is our last conversation that you'd want me to know.

37:54 Just how much how grateful I am for you coming into my life and turning my world around and

38:07 Making me the person that I am today hits.

38:11 A lot a lot because of people because I had no direction. I had no purpose before you came along and and with you there was everything and and while it may have always been there you brought it out and brought it to the surface. And so for that I will always be grateful for you. And you know, I don't think my life trip turned out any better.

38:38 I think if I played hockey then that is like the only way we did Sports we tried it and you know your handwriting and I feel like it's a good thing. I didn't play hockey because my aggressiveness would backfire.

39:13 I think I'd want you to know how much I love you and that I am so lucky to have you as my dad and I don't want to cry and I just appreciate you and I really hate the thought of not having you around and Mom too and Cooper and Ryan Reynolds.

39:45 How do you say it's a good birthday gift? Thank you for giving me this opportunity and

39:55 And someday we'll put the tables and I'll ask you.