And I Would Walk 2,014 Miles....Oh, Mother Nature - the Power You Have Over Us.

There’s a long way down, but also a long way up, especially when it’s time to rebound (as Bud Luckey’s sheep reminded us in Boundin). Yesterday, I flew 2.5 hours to eat a chicken nugget posing as a sandwich in Atlanta, Georgia (1007 miles/2014 round trip). I left my house at 7 a.m. and landed at 12:30 p.m.. As soon as the wheels hit the turmac and I took airplane mode off my phone, it rang. It was Jennifer Dail. I thought, “She must really be excited to see me and is cheering me to hurry up to get to Stillwater.”

It was Shelbie Witte, however. “Bryan, the 21^st Century Research Lecture Series at Oklahoma State University has been canceled. An ice storm is coming in tonight and the University has shut down. Is there any way you might be able to return to Connecticut today?”

For the last few weeks I’ve written many scenarios in my head for what might get in the way of this event: a crashed computer, my own car crash, a nor’easterner, a blizzard, falling down the stairs, a re-flooding of my basement, bad news from a friend or family, all in anticipation of not being able to make it to the Divergent Award ceremony. I’ve been sending weather reports to Shelbie, too, because I wanted her to see that Connecticut was going to be in the 70s. We got the storm I was anticipating last weekend.

“Um, Bryan, we're getting the storm,” she continued. “Ice. I hope you’re not mad at me.”

How could I be mad at Shelbie Witte? A year ago this spring, I got a text from this incredible woman telling me I was nominated for an Initiative for 21^st Century Literacies Research’s Divergent Award. It came to me via Facebook messenger and my cellphone. I first asked on my cell, “Who is this?” and on Facebook, “What is this?” 

For the last year, teachers and I have been working on a book chapter about our LRNG work, and Shelbie has been one of the editors. I got the message after I wrote something on Facebook about hitting a trifecta: George E. Lang Award, Elizabeth M. Pfriem Award and an Impact Fairfield Grant. The messages I received stated, “No, you’ve hit the superfecta.”

I immediately went online to read about the Divergent Award and had to admit that the description about diverging from traditional pedagogies is totally me, but when I saw past winners: Hannah Gerber, Sara Kajder, Donna Alvermann, Antero Garcia, and Ernest Morrell, I had to think, “This committee is out of their mind!”

Me?

A few weeks continued where I tried to explain to Shelbie Witte that I’m not the “scholar” that the committee might think I am. I do everything wrong. Then the official application for the award came and I did my best to apply. I sent my CV and an outline of the talk I'd give. 

Then I learned I was selected. What?

Here’s a truth: for weeks, maybe even months, I read and reread Shelbie Witte's text messages, the Facebook messages, and what I wrote in my application. I also read everything posted by the Initiative for 21^st Century Research. I kept thinking I was missing something and that Shelby was really Pinky Tuscadero of Happy Days, inviting me to a nerd party where I would be her Potsie Weber or Richie Cunningham.

And ever since the announcement came out I’ve been overjoyed, appreciative, awed, and inspired by the individuals who work so make this event possible. My academic family quickly grew, and I still feel extremely special for having the opportunity. I was thrilled to learn I would see Jennifer Dail at the event and Craig Hill – two people who have become national friends to me. 

Shelbie is magical, and it’s been great to be in touch with for a year. Secretly, I wanted to have a drink with her, however,  to ask, “How do you do it everything that you do?” 

Ah, but Maude (that was my grandmother’s name for Earth – the result God and Mother Nature doing the nasty) had another plan. There’s nothing worse than ice – see LRA in Texas a few years ago when I was trapped there or a week or see Wisconsin for NCTEAR in 2011 when I was trapped in the Midwest trying to get to the northeast for job interviews. 

It is what it is.

We Rebound. We know it's A Long Way Down. Yet we also know there’s always hope for a beautiful a way up.

I had a great day yesterday. Delta was wonderful and got me on a flight back home at no extra cost. I took my day at the airport to read Kwame’s Rebound and Jason’s A Long Way Down – loved them both. I also scored portfolios for a local high school and ate that chicken nugget on a roll that they sold me as a sandwich at Chic-Fil-A (I see a Crandall letter being written soon to them in hopes I will score redemption coupons - it was a pathetic sandwich....worst I ever had).

But it was great. Wonderful people behind this day (Shelbie) will find another way to make it happen. I am still thrilled I was chosen for an award! What an honor!

(and I got my Sue McV miles in....3 terminals and about 2 hours of walking. Phew).

There will be a time, too, to sing Oooooooooooprahoma! That was a part of my opening speech! From CNS, Class of 1990, to the 21st Century Lecture Series.