“Fire Curt Iles”

February 10, 2026

 

”Fire Curt Iles”

A favorite story

 

in 1991, I served as principal at my home school, East Beauregard High School.

 

One of my many bright ideas was placing a suggestion box in the lobby.

School opened with a fine open house night. As the auditorium cleared, Assistant Principal Tim Cooley  and I were shutting down the lights and locking the doors.

 

We walked by the suggestion box.

I stopped. “Tim, do you think we might have some notes or ideas in the box?”

 

There was one carefully folded note.

It’s message was simple but clear:

”Fire Curt Iles.”

 

Tim and I sat down and laughed.

Over thirty years later, we’re still laughing.

 

I told Tim, “I know who wrote that note. I saw Edee Fee hanging about the box and this resembles her handwriting.”

Tim shook his head gravely. “Yes, it could’ve been her, but there’s a long list of suspects . . .”

We laughed some more.

I imagine Tim’s laughter when he sees this classic story.

 

If you know Tim, he possesses one of life’s greatest gifts: the ability to laugh loud and hard.

 

I have that same gift.

I seem to laugh loudest when I’m making fun of one of my favorite story-characters:

Me.

Yes. That’s me.

Everyone loves a self-depreciating story. It connects with any  audience or listener.

 

Hey, I can see you laughing right now.

Go ahead, the joke’s on me.

Still laughing.

C. Iles