Excited about the Mystery

She (a student last week) asked if I was starting to feel sad.

“Not really,” I said, then wondered if I sounded too calloused.

But I’m not calloused, just experienced. I’ve been saying goodbye to students for over 20 years.

Besides, I plan to see many of them again. There are no rules against hanging out with former pupils.

The same goes for colleagues. I’m convinced I’ll see more of some of you post-retirement, when my schedule is more flexible, and when I’ll miss the daily hall-chats I take for granted now.

No, I’m not sad. I’m pensive: thankful for the past, optimistic about the future—but still clueless about what I’ll be doing in another month. And, strange as it may sound, I’m comfortable with—even a bit excited about—the mystery.