Running and Graduating

This morning I ran. At least, for some of the time I ran. It has been over a month since I left Switzerland and regular exercise, so there were several occasions on this morning’s circuit when I stopped running to walk and pant like an extremely old and asthmatic dog. I miss the Bossey runs! I miss having Katharina to set my pace and motivate me – as long as she kept running I kept running. I miss Siaquiyah singing to me. I miss the crisp, bracing Swiss air that made even me feel fit. And I really, really miss the views around Bossey. Running is just not the same if I can’t turn a corner and see green or snow-covered fields sweeping down to a lake at the foot of snow-capped mountains! Gisborne has many good qualities but it can’t compare to Bossey for panoramic views.

On Friday night I graduated from the Melbourne College of Divinity with a Masters of Divinity and an Advanced Diploma of Ministry. (I hope they’ll be of help in my Intern Phase.) That was my third and, I hope, my last graduation ceremony. It was lovely to see people I knew get their degrees, and I quite enjoyed walking across the stage and getting mine, but there is generally a hideous sameness to graduation ceremonies that makes them a wonderful cure for insomnia. At least the speaker, Gerald O’Collins, SJ, who recieved a DD, was interesting, and his thoughts were relevant and encouraging.

{There is nothing worse than a boring Graduation speaker. When I got my PhD I was at a ceremony for Economics and Commerce students. Because it was a December ceremony, most of the graduates were international students who had finished their degrees that November and were about to head back to their countries of origin. I can’t remember what the speaker talked about, or even who they were, but I do remember tuning out. It didn’t help that the temperature that day was 42 degrees centigrade, and the Hall wasn’t air-conditioned.}  

I had an hour and a half between collecting my robes and needing to be in my seat in Wilson Hall, so the time was filled by having coffee with friends, Tim, Steve, Kat, Fordy, Liah, Veryan and Lucy, all ex-JCHers from various years. Nice people to keep me company!