As I was touring around the Niagara region last weekend, tasting wine, biking the backroads and generally enjoying life, I happened upon a plant nursery in Jordan Station that featured this 60’s throwback VW bus as a garden-art-installation. While considering topics for this week’s post, I had several reminders this week about the power of teamwork, and how engaged I become when I work together with others toward a common goal. So to quote one of my favourite Beatles songs (60’s throwback!), “I get by with a little help from my friends”. Although we sometimes feel that we can be at our most focused in isolation, I recognize that I don’t thrive for long without the input of others. I need the feeling that I am supported, spurred on and inspired by a team.
At present, I have several projects on the go–some academic (developing a graduate program; updating curriculum), some musical (preparing some fun tunes with my neighbour music buddy for a series of porch parties), some personal (catching up with friends, devising on-boarding events for new faculty, planning social stuff)–and all of them involve working closely with others. I feel my energy bubbling over when I do these things, and sometimes I feel so inspired and happy that I am close to tears. I feel productive, alive, excited and energized. It gives me such a sense of common purpose and belonging.
It’s convocation time, and a time, therefore, of celebration and reflection on a job well done. As I move toward the end of my academic career, I’m thinking much more actively about my path thus far, and how I want to continue to chart things going forward with purpose. I recognize, perhaps more than I ever have, that the reason why I gravitated first toward opera (in my singing life) and then toward teaching (in my academic life), is my love for working with others. This probably was birthed during my years as an athlete (pretty much exclusively team sports) and as a choral singer. The feeling of working hard on a common goal, of struggling, suffering, succeeding and celebrating together is the most rewarding thing of all for me. So this week I am celebrating and leaning into everything that involves work (and play) with others, and reminding myself that the rewards of common labour are only achievable with the help of my friends. Go, Team!