Life is sometimes so odd, it is actually funny. Hopefully, I can laugh at myself a little here (or least tomorrow when I am embarrassed I remove this post), and perhaps even make a few of you smile a bit. So I attend the faculty convocation I have been thinking about for several weeks now. The event is ending and the final award is going to be announced--the top university professor, and in a somewhat painful procedure(indeed, it felt medieval to me), the three finalists are at the podium. Mind you, I was fairly sure that while I had an incredible stretch (which included writing several books, numerous articles and essays, starting and running an extraordinarily successful book series with arguably the countrys leading university press, appearing or being interviewed in the news virtually weekly for roughly a two year stretch, appearing before congressional committees and moderating others, acting as the expert witness before the state senate, and helped stop an Arizona-like law in the state, served as the expert witness in a victorious federal suit stopping the state from denying U.S. citizens in-state tuition to U.S. citizens of undocumented parents, fighting for months at my university and others, and before the legislature, for in-state tuition for DACA recipients, helping to represent hundreds of DREAMers with their DACA applications, and serving as lead counsel before an international body against the Dominican Republic for their atrocious effort of stripping the citizenship of their residents of Haitian descent), i figured an FIU senior statesman that is a class act was going to get the award. Then, through a strange turn of event, I, for a moment, believed I was witnessing a rare moment of recognition--you see, the guy I expected to get the award, his name was mentioned as second runner-up, and he, like me, seemed surprised by his place in the rankings. Then I say to myself: of Sh*t, I may actually have a shot. You see, the other guy, while certainly kind and a bit older, biggest fame seem to be from being an organizer of a wine and cheese festival, albeit a well-regrarded one. As I am getting excited, and actually start to think I may be getting this… my name is mentioned as the first runner-up! :( And in the most surreal moments of my life, I am walking up to the stage saying to myself--I lost to the wine and cheese dude? I even almost laughed. Then I fake the smiles to the university president and the head of the committee, as she ask for to please attend the reception afterwords--I say but of course! And then the provost reads my bio, and it is so long--see above, I just pray that he just finishes so I can get back to my seat. He stumbles a few times, and by now, it is nothing short of torture--it ends and then the winner is announced, and he walks to the stage somewhat dancing. Then to beat everything, the keynote address is made--which seemed to last for three years. And then, the event ends, and as luck would have it, I am at the end of the procession right behind the big winner… as he begins to walk to the back of the auditorium several people give him high fives, which was nice, but not easy for me to watch…then he proceeds to hug a few other people, and by this the fifth stop in the exiting effort, I just say Dios Mio!! and I pass him on the line to leave. In the end, I guess I am proud to be considered, but as the events turned, it was certainly funny and somewhat ironic. After some soul-searching--I was so looking forward to this month--had applied for a prestigious post, had been training for several months (skipping sugar and bread for the entire period) for the opportunity to be certified as an instructor trainee in the martial arts I practice, and figured with this string of achievements, I had a real shot at tonights special recognition. In the end, three days before my birthday, I realize I went 0-3. Summarily disregarded for the post, a change in schedule delayed my Krav certification effort, and just had one heck of a convocation event. As is my nature, I know tomorrow, after a good nights sleep, will be better. I will hug my kids in the morning, and begin to prepare to search for the next windmill to fight. And of course, no matter what, I will keep up the good fight, continue to write like a fiend, and hopefully along the way, inspire one or two students. But tonight, I am hosting my own little party--the Ediberto Roman little pity party. :) So in case you wonder--profs are people too, and life can kick your butt, even if only for the evening!!! feeling better by just writing this! https://youtube/watch?v=litv0PiI3gw
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 00:45:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015