Most students get to see Mr. Sklar while going out to SLO or just sitting in the lunchroom, but Mr. David Sklar has an incredible backstory that he was willing to share with the AP Language and Composition classes earlier in the year.
“Humanity, with all its strengths and weaknesses, has taught me how to be diverse,” Sklar said.
Before working with teenagers, young Sklar decided to enlist into the air force during the ongoing Vietnam Conflict. The experience gave him a whole new outlook on life and the perspective of existing.
“My Vietnam experiences have shaped me in ways where today I look at my life intrinsically and introspectively. I cherish each moment of each day that I am able to breathe the air around me,” Sklar said.
When arriving back home, Americans were not very pleased with the outcome of the conflict, which led to the disrespect towards the veterans coming back into society.
“I didn’t feel that I had ‘morphed’ back into society. I more or less crawled back into society both literally and figuratively. Occasionally, during the worst of times, I found myself on my hands and knees. I was looking for things I lost: my youth, my innocence, my faith. So, how was it that I was able to crawl back into society? If your readers had the opportunity to hear my presentations, they know, in part, the rest of my story. Here’s a helpful hint, I exchanged self-pity with self-purpose. I loosened the grip on denial and guilt and reached for forgiveness. It wasn’t easy and the healing continues. I stand taller today,” Sklar said.