My Lifelong Childhood

SYRACUSE! "Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better."                            Quoted by Johnson, as from Richard Hooker (1554-1600), in the Preface to the                              "English Dictionary" Syracuse, NY       Speaking of change, among the most important stressors are changing location and professional status.  While not even close to the scale of death of a loved one, divorce, or emotional problems, they are up there on most lists.  The year 1974 was a sea-change for me, suddenly becoming a "professional", as well as the culture shock of returning to the US after 8 years away.  That being said, there were events we missed (family weddings, famous rock groups and music, social upheaval and rioting in the streets, protests on America's campuses, etc.)  Even today, while many of our peers speak of their admiration for groups like "The Grateful Dead" and "The Eagles" among others

THE ROAD HOME         My road calls me, lures me                     West, east, south and north;         Most roads lead men homewards,                      My road leads me forth.                                          John Masefield (1878-1967) The Jury When we last "spoke", I had completed my FINAL final exams and, because I was starting an internship in Syracuse, NY immediately, I had to leave before graduation, or as it was better known in Belgium, "la deliberation".  They didn't have caps and gowns and all that back then. (They do now!)   The jury met and deliberated to decide if you were to graduate or not based on how you did in your final exams.  Students arrived all dressed up, with their families present and the jury, made up of all your professors, would then announce whether you succeeded or failed.  If you succeeded, you were either announced as "satisfait", "distinction", "grand distinction" or "