I was asked to represent the Dean at one of a few recent graduation ceremonies. No problem. I double checked, and my graduation robes that had been hanging unused in my office for six years seemed to be in good shape. I could wear them over one of the other dresses I found at the upscale used clothing store recently. It would be fun!
A week before the ceremony, I got an email. Would I please prepare a backup graduation speech, in case the main speaker came down with covid or was in quarantine?
(Eeek!)
After a couple of days, I tentatively responded. I guess so?
Jonathan had been invited to give a speech in March at his old high school. I asked Jonathan if I could please use his speech as a backup graduation speech. Ha ha ha. Everybody laughed and Jonathan walked away. No wait -- I was serious.
I thought back over other speeches I'd given in the last few years. They were all about mathematics. Every one of them. Except the church talk about playing the organ and Jesus. I couldn't see any way to reuse the Jesus talk. Maybe I could use a story about mathematics?
The day before the ceremony, I mentioned to the Dean and Associate Dean of Education that I was not super comfortable about preparing a backup graduation speech. In what must have been an attempt to be empathetic, the Dean recalled the time he had been asked to prepare a backup graduation speech, and then actually had to give it. Eeek!
I asked the Dean if I could please use his backup speech as my backup graduation speech.
"It's a bit personal," he said.
"That doesn't bother me," I said.
Ha ha ha. Everyone laughed and the Dean walked away. I was serious, though. Mostly.
The night before the event, I locked myself in my room and scribbled out a speech. Start with short reminiscing on my own graduation. Follow up with three dot points: advice. The mathematical story goes into the second dot point. Close with a joke. Ha ha ha.
Fold the papers into my backpack and hope hope hope hope hope that the real speaker didn't come down with covid.
The real speaker didn't come down with covid.
*PHEW!*
Now what to do with a backup speech? Advice, mingled with mathematics? I'll save it for next time.
