30

The plaque was handed to me yesterday while I was preparing for a short presentation to welcome academics from South Korea.

"30 years of service" — in bold capital letters, below the organization's logo.

30 years.

I had a hard time speaking during the presentation. My voice has been hoarse for months now. I still don't know what's wrong with me.

The presentation was on short notice. I was informed only two hours before the meeting, at which point I was also drafting an obituary for a Fellow who had passed away that same morning. And somewhere in between, a colleague asked me where I'd gotten the photo I used for a media release posted the other day.

By the end of the day, I think I did an okay presentation. Nothing spectacular — just a straightforward introduction of the organization. I had briefly wondered why my younger colleague hadn't taken it on instead. When I asked, he said he wasn't familiar with the materials I use for this kind of talk.

I suppose that's what a Director for Communications and IT is for.

The chair emeritus was satisfied with the obituary. I wasn't happy with the photo. The organization doesn't have many stock photos of this brilliant person, but I hope the write-up captures the great things he contributed to philosophy and the social sciences.

I suppose that's what a Director for Communications and IT is for.

I wasn't able to help my colleague find the photo she was looking for. She managed to come up with something else on her own. I'll remember to properly document all photos used in our public materials going forward.

I suppose that's what a Director for Communications and IT is for.

And at the end of the day — well past business hours — I still had to migrate one or two articles into the new website. A website I built in a rush after our web provider failed to fix the old one.

I suppose that's what a Director for Communications and IT is for.

But I've been doing this alone for too long.

30 years.

And what do I have to show for it?

I forgot the plaque somewhere in the conference room. I really am getting old.

This morning, I found it displayed alongside the organization's awards and recognitions. Someone must have placed it there.

It now sits next to my anime figurines and robots in my small office.

30 years.

What's next?