Crossing the Finish Line

Crossing the Finish Line of My Pursuit of a Master's Degree

Since January of 2009, which seems like kind of a long time ago given this context, I have been in pursuit of a Master's Degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa.  The concentration was in sports leadership and it was a tremendous program.  While fully online, it was well structured, very challenging and comprehensive, and finally, it's complete.

Just this past week, I submitted my final two papers for the last time. I plugged through by taking one course at a time each semester and was scheduled to finish later this summer. But seeing the finish line just around the corner, I bit the bullet, dug deep for that extra reserve of gas and opted to finish out the final two classes this spring. 

The work doubled, and these weren't exactly the lightest pair of classes in terms of coursework that I had experienced prior.  But in a way, it made crossing the finish line EVEN MORE rewarding to me. 

We all lead busy lives, and going into the program, knowing that I generally work a seven-day work week with 14-hour work days not unusual, I thought it would be near impossible to complete this program. 

But here's the evidence that if you have a goal, and set your mind to reaching that goal, anything is possible. 

I have a graduate school diploma now to prove it. 

Spring is in Bloom

Spring is here

Well, the record-setting temperatures (81 degrees) in March, may not have quite followed into April.  But none-the-less, springtime is officially here and that can only mean one thing: flowers are in bloom.

A stroll through the side streets of the East Side of Providence turns quickly into a tour of lush purple and white orchids soaking in the early morning sun.

While out and about, usually in the morning hours, before folks are heading out to work and the local coffee shop flips its lights on signaling it is finally open for business (yes, that's early), I snap a few pictures. A few through the sunlight, a few through the fog, a few at the sky and at the flowers, all with my simple iPhone.

But what is captured on (digital) is truly amazing.  It makes the spring time, I would have to say, my favorite time of the year.

I'll always remember walking through the Los Padres National Forest and Malibu Canyon after the devastating fires of 1993-94. There was so many burned trees and shrubs and brush, but in the midst of the blackened, still actually smoldering in parts, forest, were signs that mother nature was still in charge. Little buds and beautiful flowers were growing up and sprout amid the charcoal remnants. It was beautiful.

And the same with the passage from winter to spring in New England, where winters can be rough and very harsh. The first sign of a robin has always been a great indication that warmer days are ahead. But to me, seeing that first shade of pink, those first buds of the tulips sprouting from the ground, is a great reminder that spring is here.

JRS