Savoring this moment

On the cusp of my son's college graduation, reflections on my first meaningful time on his campus nearly a quarter-century ago

Two years before my twin children were born, I traveled to one of the most beautiful college campuses in the world.

On assignment for Time magazine, I reported on Indiana University's efforts to help first-generation students succeed.

At the time, I was struck by the passion and earnestness of the faculty and staff to reach and teach young men and women.

Little did I know that I'd be engaged in the same type of work today--last week was my first anniversary as director of marketing and communications at Northern Illinois University's College of Engineering and Engineering Technology.

And as a childless guy in my early 30s, I likewise had no way of knowing that I'd be back here one day for my own child's graduation.

Today, my heart is filled with gratitude as my son, Zach, concludes his journey at IU's Kelley School of Business. The son of two first-generation college grads, he's had a great experience as a Hoosier.

He's exhibiting signs of immense business potential: earning money in unconventional and creative ways (a story, perhaps, for another time) and most recently being so resourceful that, dissatisfied with our plans to stay in an Indianapolis hotel an hour away, Zach arranged for his twin sister and parents to stay in a fellow student's empty apartment within a half-mile of his two commencement ceremonies today.

An independent thinker with more than a little capacity to question authority, he's always taken an unconventional approach to learning. He paints so far outside the lines that it wouldn't have surprised or disappointed me if he chose to ditch this academic path. At the same time, he's grown and matured so much these past four years that it wouldn't shock me if he became a professor someday.

In the 24 years since my first meaningful time on this campus, I've learned a few things. Among them:

• Savor the moment.

• Take nothing for granted.

• Tomorrow's promised to nobody.

Those truths are closely related to each other and they're all especially timely in this tumultuous era in our nation's history.

But we've been through great collective hardship before. Last night after enjoying a family dinner and a stroll through the same scenic grounds I first experienced around the turn of the millennium, I tried to find that Time issue in which my Indiana University reporting appeared.

I figured it was sometime in the summer of 2001 or 2002. Providing a few keyword commands into my smartphone, I was jolted to see the historical crossroads that the edition represented. (Check out the date in the upper right corner.)

On so many levels, September 10, 2001 was a line of demarcation, a before-and-after point of no return. The world was far from innocent, but it was a fundamentally different one than the one we've had ever since.

So, have no doubt I'm savoring this moment back on the IU campus. I'm taking none of these precious moments for granted. Because, as 9/11 so thoroughly demonstrated to those who lived through it, tomorrow's promised to nobody.

Congratulations to my grad...and to all grads out there!