I don't need a calendar to remind me of the passage of time--I just have to notice how long I wait to turn left onto the state highway in the morning and how hard it is to find a parking space on my end of campus. After a long, slow summer, everyone is in a hurry to get back to work.
Yesterday I greeted yet another former student who is now a faculty member here. That makes four of my former students who are now my colleagues. It seems like I just had these students in class last week--how did they have time to get advanced degrees while I wasn't looking? Oh, and another former student of mine has been teaching at another college long enough to get tenure. Didn't she just graduate a few blinks ago?
My dog reminds me of the passage of time by studiously ignoring the rabbits nibbling clover in our front yard. In her youth she chased every living creature that transgressed on her territory, but yesterday we whistled and pointed to draw her attention to the interlopers while she looked up at us with a bored expression that said, "Don't bother me. Ignoring rabbits is hard work. I need a nap."
Yes, we are all getting older, except the students, who are getting younger every year. A horde of them will descend on campus for Matriculation this afternoon, and I'll be there to watch them bounding like bunnies up to the front to sign on the dotted line. So much energy! I'll shuffle in my regalia and try to look alive during the speeches, because while this may be my 17th Matriculation, it's their first and they deserve a lively welcome. So I'll ignore my aching tooth and sore hip and desperate need for a nap and clap with the rest of my colleagues, each clap welcoming the presence of new students while closing the door on another chunk of passing time.
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