Tripped up by my Own Metaphor

It is difficult to describe my love for college basketball.  My family has survived it for many years now.  My children's most vivid spring break memories are those of running to airport sports bars to find out a score during March Madness.  This was, of course, prior to smart phones and laptops.  I have a favorite team, which shall remain nameless as not to alienate some readers, but it doesn't have to be my team playing.  I'll watch any team play.  I love the game.  A good offense will score points but often it comes down to a strong defense to win.  Defense is key, keep the other guy from scoring.  Defense- we make signs to encourage teams to have good defense.  It's a negative connotation in some ways.  A good defense will shut down a team, will keep them from scoring. 

This week I will defend my dissertation.  I will offer up a defense to my research.  I will be a defender.  I will keep the other guys from scoring.  I will be on the defensive.  Yep, that's how I've been seeing it.  It's been scaring me to death.  What if those in attendance throw up a trick shot and I can't block it?  What if they ask a question and I foul them when deflecting it? 

I've been tripped up by my own metaphor.

Today as I prepared and reviewed my presentation and crammed the last bits of knowledge into my head I realized I had to flip the metaphor or I am going to make myself ill over this.  I have to call it something besides a "defense".  So now I am going to tell you that on Tuesday morning I am going to celebrate and share my dissertation.

I am going to celebrate and share the amazing things I learned from five preservice teachers willing to share their lives with me for more than a year.  I am going to celebrate and share the amazing things I learned about myself as a teacher.  I am going to celebrate and share the first 150 page paper I've ever written in my life, complete with figures, tables, a table of contents, and near flawless (after many revisions) APA formatting.  I am going to celebrate and share what I've learned on this journey. There are questions I may not be able to answer and that's okay.  This is not an end to learning- it's a mere stop along the way. 

Because my dissertation is all about metaphor I will also most likely share how I've changed my approach to this presentation.  My research demonstrated how powerful our metaphors are in our lives.  Today I realized how powerful mine was for this event. 

On a completely different note.  Our family has experienced a metaphor for irony named Jack, our beloved eleven year old Jack Russell Terrier.  I adore Jack but he is no doubt my husband's dog.  When my husband would return from surgery or be ill from chemo it was Jack who comforted him.  When my husband was in the hospital it was Jack who mourned his absence and placed himself directly on the bed each night to fill the void.  My husband has battled colon cancer.... twice... and survived.  Some of this strength came from Jack.  Jack had great empathy for Brett and was so in tune to his illness.  Friday we learned that Jack has a mass in his colon.  Brett will now be Jack's support as we learn what the future holds.  Now, that, my friends, is irony at its finest.  It will be a privilege to care for Jack and spoil him rotten until his end of days.  I'm convinced that we will spoil him rotten and he will in turn live to be twenty or so just to enjoy it.  Whatever happens we will return the favor in glorious style for as long as we can.