Hallelujah!

At age 48, I began my doctoral studies in literacy and linguistics. Not everyone on the UC faculty thought graduate studies could be effectively completed part-time. It was suggested I was occupying space better given to a student attending full time. People told me I'd never finish and that even if I did, I wouldn't get an academic job, and certainly never get tenure.

I came home to the news that the allegedly impossible had occurred. For weeks, I'd been checking out the Tennessee Board of Regents website, but nothing was posted there. Then today, Joe brought home our church newsletter which congratulated me and several other people on achieving this milestone. At first, I wouldn't believe the news was official. Academics learn to cross check everything and to document very precisely. It becomes a habit.

To university faculty, tenure is unbelievably important. Not that it changes your duties any, but it alters your possibilities. You have academic freedom. No longer does it matter whether people like you or not.

So jet lagged as I am, I dragged myself into the office seeking the official letter. There was none. Perhaps it had gone out late.

Suddenly, I thought of checking the ETSU website, where the announcement was listed under personnel news. It wasn't exactly buried, but you had to know where to look. It's been posted since July 8th; odd that I didn't look there 'til now. Weird I found out from my church's newsletter. As if God wanted to tell me first.

I'm too tired from jet lag and years of hard work to fully experience joy. It's a good time to listen to Handel's Hallelujah chorus. Here's a version I found on the web:

http://www.biblestudycharts.com/RH_Hallelujah_Chorus.html