I had a music teacher who took me under her wing from third through eighth grades. She did more than teach music in school & give me private piano lessons, though. She checked with all my other teachers to make sure I was getting my work done there, and if I ever misbehaved in another teacher's class she made sure I had to answer to her, rather than the principal (the principal's office would have been a gift in comparison!). While I can think of other dedicated teachers who influenced me, Mrs. P gave me the gifts of music, academic rigor, and probably spared me the life of a hoodlum.

Briefly describe life in the city, town, or rural area where you grew up (sorry if it sounds like fodder for a novel).