I work on a college campus, and I love it.
Though my days can be somewhat varied, most of the time there is a carefully plotted out routine to what I do. There are countless committee meetings, reams of email, tons of telephone conversations, numerous one-on-one discussions, lots of small decisions, and large decisions, significant time working with students – faculty – staff on problems, concerns, challenges. . . and the list goes on and on.
It’s normal, average college work and it’s what I do everyday.
As expected, I am generally busy. I come early and stay late. Sometimes I stop at noon to eat, but more often, I use the lunch hour to catch up on reading, signing things, thinking. I find my college activities quite interesting. But, for those on the outside looking in, the picture might not seem so exciting. Instead, it might be viewed as . . . tedious . . . tiring . . . a little too much of the same old – same old, and not enough of the knock your socks off, type stuff.
Admittedly, I spend most days in my office or in conference rooms. I listen . . . I talk . . . I read . . . I jot something down . . . I confer with others. I squint my eyes, looking up just in case an answer to whatever problem being discussed floats through my mind. (Rarely happens, but I look anyways.)
Sometimes the day passes without me ever standing up and moving from behind my office desk to the doorway. The two chairs in front of my desk are like seats on a merry-go-round that bring all kinds of folks into my office to chat. Suddenly, I look up and the day is over. I head home. I eat, sleep, wake up and start the process over again. It’s been this way for many years.
Most of the time.
For this is a college, and I know that college life is full of both the expected and . . . the unexpected.
As was the case on December 5th, 2012.
The sun was shining, the weather was perfect, and I was ready. I slipped out of my regular work attire and into worn-torn jeans, work boots, and a college sweatshirt. The faculty in the West Building had invited me, and I jumped at the chance. I was – flat-out – super excited about the opportunity. It was as if the world leaned over and tapped me on the shoulder for a great, great adventure.
In a few moments, I met my partner-in-crime. Joe quickly ran through the must-do rules, and I suited up. One hard hat. Check. One pair of leather gloves. Check. One cell phone and one camera. Check, check. And one safety harness with tons of carabiners. Big time check. And I stood – at the ready – waiting for more instructions.
Joe looked at me and smiled. He and I both knew that this day wasn’t going to be the usual. This day wasn’t going to end with me turning out the office lights, shutting the door, and carrying my shoulder bag out to my nearby car. This day was going to be different. It was going to be a memory in the making. This day was going to be one of those crazy-funny college days.
Our campus is a proud one and like other locations, we are becoming more energy-efficient. We have hundreds of geothermal wells throughout campus and several solar panels perched on building rooftops. We recycle everything, drive energy-efficient college cars, collect dead batteries, drink water from the tap, and turn the lights out when we leave our offices. And, most important for this occasion, we have two brand new wind turbines strategically placed on our college farm.
And I was in luck for It was my turn to climb one of those turbines.
The time came, and Joe started to climb first. Once he was a healthy distance ahead of me, he peered down, motioned for me to connect my safety latch, and begin. For just a moment, I hesitated. I was delightfully excited, but from the bottom rung, it looked like a long way up. I could hear him telling me to take that first step, but my boot seemed glued to the ground. It was like my mind said go, but my feet said no.
I glanced up and Joe, who was already about fifty feet ahead of me, glanced down. He smiled and called out my name one more – and most likely the last – time. And finally, I started to climb. What I thought I couldn’t do and wouldn’t ever have the opportunity to do, I began to do. And it was fun – crazy fun.
One step at a time, one foot at a time, rung by rung, I climbed. I have no idea how long it took me to reach the top. I only know that it took me longer than it took Joe. He coached me through the last trap door and onto the top platform enclosure – where there was just enough room for the two of us to stand.
He opened the top hatch, and from that vantage point, the view was stunning. Farm fields, nearby highways, barns, lakes, silos, the college buildings, athletic fields – the best word to describe it was magnificent.
Oddly enough the only thing that had really changed was that I was no longer at ground level. I was seeing the same sights I saw everyday – the same farm fields, the same nearby highways, the same barns, the same lakes, etc., and it was like I was seeing something completely different.
I changed my perspective and everything changed. Everything. Everything.
Today as usual, I sit at my desk with paperwork and people swirling around me, with a routine that feels safe and comfortable, with my shoulder bag waiting to go home right after I click off the office lights at the end of the day. But I know that if I take the time to look at my world from a slightly different perspective, I will see something totally different – something very interesting and exciting. Just depends on where I am standing.
College is crazy-funny that way.
Deborah Hutti 