Triple 3’s, fasnachts, ego boosts and Gloria Gaynor

Yesterday was March 3, 2003. 03/03/03. There’s a certain aesthetic pleasure in the date, even if it is totally devoid of significance. Well, perhaps it isn’t totally insignificant. It was the fourth anniversary of my employment here.

The anniversary passed without any acknowledgement whatsoever; no surprise since no one was even here. What is surprising is that today is Fasnacht Day and nobody brought any doughnuts to work! Granted, any old doughnuts wouldn’t have been appropriate, and I doubt that anyone felt like going to the trouble of making fasnachts. Ah well, I suppose the last thing I need right now is to fill up on potato doughnuts anyhow. One would have been nice, though.

I may not need doughnuts, but a pat on the back is always appreciated, and my ego has been stroked mightily today. My alma mater has invited me back again this year to give a half-day seminar. This will be the fourth year I’ve given this seminar, and I really enjoy both giving the talk and getting a chance to see some of my old teachers who have become my friends.

It’s a novel situation for me. If I encounter one of my old teachers from high school or college, I usually still feel like the student. It’s one of those little respect/conscience things that adulthood hasn’t freed me from. The only exception to this has been with the people from the department I’ll be giving this seminar for. From the day I graduated, they treated me like a colleague instead of a student, something I’ve found to be rare among the other professors. They’ve encouraged me to share some of my insights, and through this I’ve discovered that I have unique knowledge due to my job that is valuable to them. Since many of these people are Important Names in Their Field, this has been a particularly heady experience. I don’t delude myself that I could do the amazing stuff they do. But it’s still flattering to know I have their respect.

OK. It’s been a while. Apologies to all the appropriate personages again. It is definitely Gloria I hear singing this, though.

I Will Survive.

– Original words by Dino Fekaris & Freddie Perren


At first I was afraid, I was petrified.

Kept thinking that I’d never manage without you inside.

But then I spent so many nights

Thinkin’ how you’ve done me wrong

And I grew strong

And I learned how to get along

So now I’m on

A transplant list

I’m counting down the days and

there is no way you’ll be missed

You should have changed your stupid ways

You should have kept yourself healthy

Don’t you think for just one second

You’ve future here with me.

(chorus)

Soon now you’ll go

I’ll be restored

I’ll get a new one

‘Cos you’re not working anymore

Weren’t you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?

Did I crumble? Did I lay down and die?

Oh no not I. I will survive

Until I get my new liver I know I’ll stay alive

I’ve got all my life to live

And you’ve got no more left to give

I will survive, I will survive

Hey, Hey!

It took all the strength I have not to quiver

Feeling mournful for myself over my liver

And I spent oh so many nights

Just feeling sorry for myself

But I won’t cry

I’m gonna hold my head up high

And so I’ll get a liver new

I’m not that chained up little person still in love with you

And when we drop the new one in

I will once again be free

So I’m saving all my money

For a great big surgery.

(chorus)

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7 Comments

  1. Oh gosh, that was good! I can hear Gloria singin’ it too.

    (and no, this student is not going to start petitions…LOL, I gotta draw the line somewhere.)

  2. So, are you going to show your song parodies to the transplant support group? Eventually, I mean. You don’t want to scare them all off right away ;o)

  3. Ok, that’s my favorite one yet. Maybe because I know the song well enough to hear it in my head LOL!!

    Congrats on the speaking engagement. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize that people look up to us and the information we have to impart much like we look up to others…wooo….makes a persons head swoon

    ~QE

  4. happy fourth anniversary to you! i’ve never had a potato doughnut, but they sound, er, uh…..heavy.

    lol, you will survive! that’s for sure.

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