Better Late Than Never

Earlier this afternoon I was running some errands around town and was thrilled when a song that I used to adore came onto the mix CD that I was listening to. In the summer of 2008, I spent five weeks at a music festival in Tuscany. This particular song was extremely popular at that time and was my anthem for the entire trip. From the moment I stepped onto the train to the airport to the moment I landed back in America, I listened to this song as often as I could. It accompanied me out the door each morning; it followed me as I walked from cafes to gelato stands to pizza places; it sometimes even put me to sleep at the end of a long day. I didn’t like this song for any particular reason – the words didn’t seem to make much sense to me at all – but I loved how the music made me feel.

Almost two years later to the day, however, upon hearing the song for the first time in a while, it suddenly took on new meaning. The words made sense to me in a way that they never had before – they seemed to perfectly fit my current place in life. To me, it felt a little bit like realizing I could speak a new language without being aware of the years of practice I know are required to do so. Finding personal meaning in this song made me realize the amount of growth – personal, intellectual, and professional alike – that I have gone through over the past several years.

One of the most important lessons I have learned while working in development is that people need time away from large experiences (or large gifts) before they are ready to give back. My seemingly insignificant event today made me realize that this “break” may not even be for reasons of which donors are even aware. Sometimes it can take a bit of time (a few days, weeks, or even years, depending on the magnitude of the experience ) for people to realize just how much they have been changed or how much that part of their life meant to them.

There are parts of my time at Michigan of which I already know the impact. I had the opportunity to perform with extraordinarily talented musicians, learn from remarkable thinkers, and work with passionate professionals. However, as I look toward new beginnings, I am anxious to discover what lessons I learned at Michigan that haven’t yet broken the surface. What knowledge will I uncover over the next several months and years?

Tomorrow morning I will embark on a multi-day road trip to the arts institution where I will be working for the summer. Next Monday will be my first day in the office – looking forward to sharing more from there!