paisleypiper's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- teachers at committee meetings Today my mentor came to my task force meeting. And it was wild. The initiative I staff is something that he interests him and he was the best person from English to be on the committee. Which in a way was fun and in a way made me nervous. Because he has been a big deal in my life. I thought I would be more nervous, but it just may be that we are closer than that. I have been learning from him for 13 years� which is all of my life as a major adult (over 21). He plucked me out of undergraduate obscurity, got me talking about literature, got me thinking about composition�. If only for being my advisor on my senior thesis and for sticking by my paper, which he graded as A but made such a splash the rest of the department was torn. Of course I got my A and graduated. My paper was sent away for outside review. A scholar at another university said it was very much like something a graduate student would write and he was surprised that I was only ending my bachelor�s. And I have had so many classes with them (four, I believe) that I look up to him in a very complicated way. He kept looking at me, all grown up in this big meeting, talking to faculty and administrators� I kept seeing his warm, blue, happy eyes and felt supported. He is incredibly busy so I hoped that this would be something that he would enjoy and find worthwhile. During introductions we had to go around the room and say who we are and one thing personal and I wanted to say �my favorite teacher is sitting next to me� but I didn�t want to embarrass him. Once about 3 years ago we met for coffee at 2:00 in the afternoon and realized that it was after six and getting dark. His research impresses me and challenges me. I think I have learned more from him in an afternoon�s coffee than in some classes I�ve taken from other professors. The difference is in how much energy and depth he brings, to how unique his ideas can be, and how open he is to anything that is well considered. I can see him, the way he sits back in a chair, one of his forearms leaning on the back of the seat, his other hand gesturing. He always has a composition notebook � the Mead kind that are black and white � open in his lap during class that is covered with little spots of numbers with a word or two, seemingly random spread all over the page. And he can glance at this and know where he is when he needs to interject in class discussion. It amazes me. He is the first person I learned how to disagree with and still be just fine. How to move from different perspectives to a discussion and to see another compelling perspective but still stick with my own. Over the years he has had me in four classes and encountered me in three different jobs. I have been thinking today, how neat that is. How great it was to see him across the room in his brainstorming group� to overhear his distinct voice complicating the discussion, bringing in his perspective. It made me grin. He has recently made a big change in his life. And I know about it, because it is the kind of thing that is no one�s business but the few people I know have come to me with it as gossip. They heard it from someone who heard it from someone. The truth is, it only concerns me when he mentions it and only then in as much as I hope that he is happy. Because that is what I wish for him the most. After the meeting, I wiggled away from all the people just to thank him for a moment. I was about to tell him that it was nice to see him but he beat me to it. But we exchanged a few words and then he said �A lot has happened. We have stuff to talk about. I�ll be in touch. I enjoyed this meeting it was fun.� He seemed really happy � glowing actually � and his eyes were extra-sparkly. I could see that he was happy. That his big change is amounting to a happiness that is written on his body. And this concept is something that interests him, that he studies. I really like it when things relate in this way that is equally random, simple and beautiful. 9:37 p.m. - 2002-08-29 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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