Day 6: The Week the World Went Home
It was a Friday. Partly sunny. Highs in the 40s.
It’s my mom’s 94th birthday today. I’ve planned a Google Meets party for her. I hope that everyone can figure out how to log in because everyone who has RSVPed keeps referencing ‘Zoom.’
Has Zoom become Kleenix?
Friday, March 6, 2020 was a full day.
UMass hockey would play UConn at the Tsongas Arena.
My husband, Wayne, and I had often talked about going to see a game. Wayne had played hockey in high school. I had never seen him play. That was the time before, although he did play for a while with an adult team when he landed his first job out of college.
For me, two very important events occurred at The Tsongas Arena.
My life’s trajectory changed because of a random conversation at a ‘meet and greet’ for an international studies program in 2013. I met three young women, all recent graduates from UML’s EdD program. When I learned their names, now long forgotten, they spoke about their accomplishments. And now they were full-time employees at the university.
I was not. I was an adjunct. I was happy to be teaching at the college level — having fulfilled a life-long dream — but I also had always wanted a doctorate.
The conversation went something like this…
Me: I’d love to have a PhD. But I don’t know what to study.
Them: Education. You’re a teacher. [Dah… they didn’t say that… my brain said that…]
Me: Oh, yeah. That makes sense. But I don’t know where to go.
Them: Here. UML.
Me: Oh, yeah. That’s actually a good idea. That’s actually doable.
Them: Look into it.
And I did.
Long story short, I applied, they accepted me, I felt like an imposter for about a year, and then, I just kept going.
Which leads me to the next important event that took place at the Tsongas.
On May 17, 2019, I walked across the stage wearing my soft cap and my silly oversized robe with velvet stripes on the sleeve, and I received my Doctor of Philosophy from Chancellor Jacqui Maloney.
It’s funny, but it wasn’t until just now, on the morning of March 6, 2021, that I have made the connection of how the process started and culminated in the same building.
I met with three classes that day.
We were all preparing for Spring Break.
I remember saying to the second and third class that I had heard rumors about not coming back to school right away after the break.
I remember saying something about an extended vacation.
I remember chuckling with them sharing a sense of disbelief.
As we left the building that day, I took a photo of one of the labs. This part of the building had been newly renovated. And I wanted to show my husband how this room had carts on casters that tucked under a counter. I thought it would be a great idea for our kitchen. He agreed.
That evening, I attended another rehearsal for the orchestra. A final run through for the musicians, the conductor, the sound recording technician and myself to coordinate the projected images with the music.
The hockey team won their game. “River Hawks clinch home ice in 3–1 win vs. UConn in the regular season finale.”
And it was my mom’s 93rd birthday.
We celebrated with cousins who live in our same hometown. Randy is my mother’s brother’s youngest son. And Brittany is Randy’s oldest. And Brittany’s boyfriend was there, too.
We had cake. There were flowers. We enjoyed each others’ company.
And then…
