By, Caitlin S. ’21

If you’ve ever been in a class with Mr. M., you know that he loves to tell stories. As the school year progresses, we all come to know our teachers in class and at school, but Mr. M. is one of the few teachers that gives his students insight into his personal life. For that reason, I sat down with Mr. M. to talk about how he spends his free time in order to take a closer look at a Winsor teacher’s life beyond Pilgrim Road.

In addition to spending his summers on Cape Cod, Mr. M. seizes any opportunity during the school year to visit the calm shores of the Cape. While he is there, Mr. M. bikes, kayaks, and fly fishes, among other activities. Here’s what he had to say about his outdoor hobbies:

“I recently got a ‘fat bike’ as a present which has enabled me to go off the roads. There are a lot of places where you can go biking around cranberry bogs…I [also] like to take my kayak out to sand flats and walk the flats. It’s really fun to see fish and other animals in their natural habitat. It’s interesting to see how they behave and how they react when there’s a change in tide…I like to teach myself things, whether it’s banjo or guitar, woodworking, sailing, or fly fishing. I’ve taught myself and researched and learned from other people.”

Mr. M.’s love of sailing began in his freshman year in college when he spent a semester at sea. Although many of us know Mr. M. as an English teacher to the core, this experience demonstrates a different side of his personality:

“We sailed from Maine to the Bahamas. That was my first introduction to traditional sailing craft, and really learning about and appreciating maritime history in New England. I like learning and using really traditional sailing and navigation. [Now] I mostly go day sailing and take friends out on my sailboat. It’s peaceful.”

Mr. M. is also fluent in the language of weddings, explaining:

“Winsor was very generous in giving me a sabbatical. My daughter was getting married that fall, and I learned a lot about wedding preparations. I went to makeup sessions and dressing sessions.”

Unlike some people who hope to decrease their workload after retirement, Mr. M. has no plans of slowing down any time soon.  In considering life after teaching at Winsor, Mr M. hopes to share his love of fishing with others:

“It’s very possible that I’ll get my coast guard captain’s license, get a boat for fly fishing, and become a fly fishing guide. It would be really fun to teach people and share with them what I’ve learned. It’s fun taking people out and fun showing them places to fish.”

Mr. M.’s ideal summer day includes spending time with family and being outdoors:

“I’m a bit of an introvert, so I definitely recharge spending time in nature. I really love it when family comes out and visits. We’ll go for hikes in the woods and sit around the firepit. We’ll sit around and play music. I love to cook and making really great meals, having fresh oysters.”

As my interview with Mr. M. was finishing up, he would not let me forget about his beloved dog Rosie. He reflected: “A daily part of my life in the summer is Rosie, my dog. I drive an old pickup truck and Rosie hops up with me. She’ll spend the whole day there. Even when I get home, Rosie will sit in the truck and I can’t get her to get out of it.”