WANISAN

Saying  Good bye…

This year I said good bye to the first group of students I started and took all the way through their seminar class. I graduated 2 groups before these, but those students joined seminar that was being taught by someone else, and in a very different manner. I just helped them finish.

This group was different, is different, because they are actually responsible for me taking over these classes in the first place. When their time for choosing their seminar was approaching, they learned that one professor was leaving to return to America and no one knew who would be replacing him.

Several of those students were in my freshman classes and asked if I might be able to do it. This then led to the department asking me, and then me agreeing to take them on. Initially I was only meant to take this group through to graduation, but in the end I started one other group. This group is my 4^th year group now.

They will inspire a post of their own without doubt.

Back to this group, and saying goodbye.

The department holds a farewell dinner and students who are still around (many are off to their new jobs and such already, lucky for them) and the seminar professors meet and eat, and drink, and remember, and say goodbye.

The professors also were asked to speak at the dinner. Great.

I found out a few days before the dinner that I would be expected to speak. That’s not a problem for me since public speaking and presentations are actually an area I’m pretty comfortable with and even teach. I would have liked a little more notice, but not too much stress. I was told to be brief and that all of the professors would speak, and I could speak in English if I wanted.

That same day I was attending the graduation ceremony (a formality I assure you as it is not merit based) of my oldest son who was moving from grade school to junior high. While sitting and listening and taking in the moment, I got the idea for the main point of my speech. I didn’t want to do the traditional “it’s not goodbye, or the end, but a beginning… blah…. Blah… blah…” (apologies to any professor who made that speech and happens upon this post, but, heh, it is what it is – cliché.

I started with giving them several numbers.

8120

5840

1460

96

And

1.

Then I asked them if they knew what the importance or meaning of those numbers were.

Of course there were few guesses, and none really expected. I just wanted them to think, to see the large numbers, dwindling down to a single one.

Then I explained:

8120 is the approximate number of days from their birth to today. They are all pretty much the same age, so this works here in Japan. It wouldn’t work so well in the U.S. but might be adaptable.

Then 5840 is the approximate number of days from entering elementary school until graduating university. Again, this is pretty common for most students here.

1460 is the approximate number of days since entering university.

96 is the number of days our class. I did mention that a few students might be surprised to know the number was that high as they were a little short of that over the three years… 😉

And then…

1.

Yes, it is today. This day. The day. The only real day we still have. All of those other days are gone, passed. Good, bad, or indifferent, we cannot touch or change them now. They are done. We have our hope for tomorrow, but no guarantee. There is only the day we are living that we are assured of having and that we can still affect.

Take it. Enjoy it. Use it.

Congratulations. Thank you. Congratulations.

Here are a few photos from the event: