August 20, 2013

First day of the semester accomplished. It was sweet to see Evan and Ann, the new kids, eager in their offices, awaiting some challenge to meet, some enlightenment to impart. I caught myself crossing the pavement thinking “I have a job!” as though I too were just starting out. The how-was-you-summer? chat in the hall is probably the longest conversation I will have with certain colleagues. We don’t even try to tell ourselves it is enough.

Fantastic dreams. I was tending a garden high on a hill over Istanbul. I walked a few steps farther than I had ever gone before, and a new world opened up, red mountains crowned with snow and shimmering with waterfalls.