He retired after decades of teaching. Months later, he missed his students too much to stay away

HAMILTON, Michigan — Every morning at Hamilton High starts with the Pledge of Allegiance, spoken over the loudspeaker by Blaine Lugten. No wonder Hamilton High and Blaine are indivisible.

"I am a substitute teacher here at Hamilton High School," Blaine explained.

He's currently subbing for a geometry class.

"It is a subject that I'm very comfortable with. So it's like riding a bike, as they say," he said.

But Blaine isn't really a new addition to Hamilton High.

"I was a high school teacher here for 29 years, and last June, I retired, but I'm back," he smiled.

He clocked out in June. But his heart never left the building.

"I missed my students," Blaine said. "I missed opening up the lockers for kids that struggle with their combinations. I think just everything, the sights, the sound