New adventures

My second most favorite street musician and accordion player

I am in the midst of applying for jobs, a seemingly endless process. Though at least I have had nibbles on my applications/casts. I interviewed in Washington and just Monday, interviewed in Minnesota.

I have thought a great deal about how I got here, and the influences and people who have shaped me and helped me get to this position. Perhaps one of the key people in this parade was my dean at Defiance College, Dick Stroede. It is hard to describe him—it would take a long list of adjectives. He exemplified the word service, whether it was service to his school, to his colleagues, to his church, or to his friends. I have worked with many more deans since then but have know no one who could do more with less, or balance more fragile plates in the air than Dick.

And I was one of those fragile plates when I showed up in Defiance in the fall of 1997. Recently graduated, I had absolutely no clue as to what I was doing, and that might be a kind evaluation of me at that point in my career. Perhaps because of my interests and nascent talent but more because of his inherent kindness, I feel he paid particular attention to me. He listened when I ranted and whined, more often than not while he leaned back in his chair and looked over his glasses while wearing an indulgent smile. Many of us have been on that other side of his desk and experienced this. But no matter my dream or wild-hair, he supported me and he pushed me. Hindsight makes me realize how much he pushed me and how much I grew because of this, but also makes me realize how kindly he accomplished this.

The first time I supervised faculty, I actually called him and apologized to him—after experiencing first hand the “challenges” of what some have called a task similar to herding cats, I appreciated even more all that he accomplished (and realized what a pain in the butt I must have been). And he did this with a smile, with a shrug, with an “oh, well.” And with a spirit and soul that brought him back to work for nearly 40 years. Amazing.

So why this “This Buds for you, Dick!” blog post? Three reasons, I think. As I interview for dean positions, occasionally someone asks a question that you think about for more than a moment before answering. One such question was “what experiences have prepared you to be a dean?” I recently brought up my experiences at Defiance College as key and stated honestly that I was able to work with an exceptional dean. He helped me realize what it meant to be part of and help lead an academic community. What a model to try and emulate and more than enough reason to dedicate a post to, and to thank him for all that he did to help me get to where I am.

The second reason is that, to use Dick’s words, “the maestro is beginning a new adventure,” an additional job, and learning a new way to teach and share with those who he loves and cares about. He recently revealed that he was diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. It’s an adventure that no one is prepared for and no one wants, but one that you simply have to face. And he has. He has initiated a blog, www.maestro-anewadventure.blogspot.com to journal this new adventure. In it, the renaissance man who can play countless instruments, rebuild a piano, lead a choir or a college, and juggle all those fragile plates/people, shows his talent as a writer. And a writer who is writing about life, his life and what he points out may be his last job.

The last reason to write all this is that all of us sometimes need a reminder of why this season is important. Lest we get caught up in the weather, the presents, the songs, or whatever, remember that this is also the time to celebrate the people in our lives who make a difference. It is really that simple. And the season, like life, is often way shorter and sometimes harder than we might wish it to be. Take a moment and tell these people that they matter before, well, before the season ends.

I am sure that I will find as I follow this new, sometimes sad and hard adventure that I will continue to learn from Dick. I bet if I know him at all, his blog will tell us all far more about living than dying, and show us in many ways how to live. And I bet that these lessons will continue to teach by example and help show us all what grace really is. And what this grace, and Dick, means to all of us.

So this blog/box of wine/gin and tonic/cream puff/chocolate cake/steak or what ever is for you, Dick. Let us who care help on this adventure as we can and know that you are important to more people than you might ever imagine. Travel safely.