Good evening from my office,

It was a busy day, but I am grateful for all that was accomplished. Most of the weekend was spent grading and doing school work, which is a necessity at this point in the semester. Last night late, I was looking at some news and read that Dan Fogelberg, the vocalist of the 70s and 80s, passed away from cancer. He was only 56 years old. That is only a few years older than I am. That shocked me. I remember seeing him in concert in Omaha, Nebraska. It was an acoustic concert of sorts and it was wonderful. His melodic voice and the way he created stories with his music had a profound effect on me. I had a number of his albums (yes, vinyl). So I downloaded some of his things from i-tunes last night. As I listen the songs, I am transported back to that time in my life when I listened to so much of his music. I did not realize how much I missed hearing that voice, his outstanding guitar playing and the stories that seemed to tug at my heart strings (and yes they still do). I wonder what the high school sweetheart, the subject of his song "Same Old Lang Syne" is thinking right now. It is funny that today I had a conversation with someone about high school memories.

Pondering is what I do with much of my life; I have always been the one to tried to figure out the "whys" of things. I remember friends asking me why I might be concerned with such things, but I have had this insatiable desire to understand. And so it is . . .  even today as I worked on my D2L things, I wonder why it is someone cannot figure out a better system, a way that might be both logical and efficient. I wondered why is it we go through such substantive changes in our life that things can be turned upside down seemingly in a moment? Or is it that is really is more of a process? I wonder what the purpose of life is, and not so much in some profound philosophical or metaphysical way, but rather what is it we should do each day to make that particular day something we will look back upon with a sense of accomplishment and pride.

Pondering is not a bad thing and it most certainly is a proces. I think it is the sort of critical analysis necessary if we are to make some "small profound difference." Over the weekend I said good bye to a student who has been such a joy. It is those moments that make be realize I have been exceptionally blessed. During the past two years she has worked so hard. I still remember her coming to my office over two years ago and informing me that I had to sign her add slip for my 101 class the following fall. Coming from Nepal, she had so much to learn and then on the other hand she was so far beyond the typical Stout student. She speaks five languages; she has worked extremely hard to earn her degree and now leaves for a new life in California. This past week, as the "baby girl" of the family she saw her parents for the first time in two years. At commencement, I saw other students that I had in Freshman Composition a few years ago. They have grown so much. Today another student asked me to write another letter of recommendation. She too has matured so much since I first had her in an online course two summers ago. She is going to the Netherlands (which ironically is the title of the Fogelberg album I am listening to as I type this) next semester.

This afternoon, I spent some time working on D2L issues; while the course delivery tool is frustrating and illogical, we are so fortunate to have such amazing administrators on campus. It makes it tolerable. But as I spend time with my favorite guru, I continue to ponder how it is that people enter and exit our lives. I know that I am blessed beyond measure to have such an amazing and intelligent friend. Both as a colleague and a friend, that blessing grows daily.

During the past week we had potential colleagues on campus for one of the positions. I knew a couple of them. That is a strange position, but another way that I am reminded that life continues on; indeed the reality of entering and exiting was profoundly apparent to me during the past week. As we enter the last couple days of the semester, I leave you with the words from one of Fogelberg tunes. Indeed, life is a kind of dance, so from the Nether Lands album a verse from his song "Dancing Shoes." 

Dancing shoes
Though the distances divide us
There’s a paradise inside us
We can’t lose.
Me and you
Dance a ‘pas de deux’
Forever
And I pray you never
Shed your dancing shoes.

Ponder on my friends and blessed thoughts in the days ahead!

Michael