Doctors of Philosophy Draw Near

Woke up to a text message that our friend Rachel got her PhD - mazal tov!

As I've watched her and other friends and colleagues over the past couple of years finish their doctorates, I've had quite a few thoughts and memories about the family business - the one I did not go into - since I'm the first person in my family of origin not to get a PhD.

The title of this posting is an exciting line from maybe 1964? when I attended the ceremony where my father got his PhD. My mother's experience was a little different as was my experience of her experience. She flew to London for 2 weeks in 1968 to defend her dissertation - alone. I can only imagine what she might have felt - freedom, panic, etc. at leaving us 3 kids - aged 4, 7, and 9, or something like that. I'm sure we were fine, but the memory I have is from when my dad piled us all in the car to pick her up at the airport - our desire to have her back was at a frenzy, there was no parking, and when we finally found a space and were backing into it, some jerk came frontwards into the space. My dad got out of the car and yelled at him "can't you see I have 3 screaming kids in the car."

Not hard to figure out why I haven't jumped into the world of real higher education. That and the fact I am convinced that I lost a significant number of brain cells with each placenta.

So a warm glance of admiration with just a touch of regret to my friend now Dr., and much love to my pioneering parents, esp. my mom, and to my pioneering sister.