Another year done...

I've had the words of a song playing through my mind the last couple of nights at work:

Now the seats are all empty
Let the roadies take the stage
Pack it up and tear it down
They're the first to come and the last to leave
Working for that minimum wage
They'll set it up in another town

They're from the song "The Load Out/Stay" by Jackson Browne and in a strange way they fit my life at this time of the year.

Today was graduation at the university where I work. Another year is done, another group of students will be leaving the nest and making their way into a world filled with promise and uncertainty.

I look at dorm windows and instead of seeing lights, I see darkness. No early morning sojourning to the dining hall or the gym for a quick work out or to that dread early class.

Quiet has taken over my world.

In a way, it is always bittersweet for me. I'm thrilled for the young people I've worked with and gotten to know. Thrilled that they are getting on with their lives but that happiness is tempered by the realization that they are leaving mine.

It's the nature of things but it is hard.

All I can do is say my good byes and wish them well...

But...

The halls are all empty.

Good luck, Class of 2011, wherever you may be and wherever you path will lead you.

Now, on a much happier note:

Steve Hamilton, favorite author of mine, has won the Edgar Award for his gripping story, The Lock Artist.

Click on the title for a link to my review of the book.

Way to go, Steve. It was a richly deserved award.