A Coach Ride in England
Being in the chemistry department, I didn’t have many opportunities to interact with Danny for my first few years at NKU. That didn’t stop me from hearing about him through others, though. When we did cross paths during campus meetings, I always enjoyed his witty banter and lively conversation. However, that didn’t prepare me for the bus ride…no, coach ride…one morning in England.
I’ve had the pleasure of teaching a science history-based study abroad course in London twice, which meets for two weeks between Christmas and the start of the spring term. It’s an exhausting time, but a very fun one. Danny and I were both instructors during the program last December, and our classes were always on the same coach (English speak for “chartered bus”) when we would go on group field trips away from London. These early, early trips would always have a bright spot from Danny’s presence, and the students loved him for it. During one of these rides (to Bath, I believe) I was in a particularly blue mood. I was having a hard time being away from my wife and (at the time) 14 month son, and those feelings were compounded that morning after hearing from my wife that she had been in the emergency room with him the night before due to a very high fever. It didn’t end up being anything serious, but to a relatively new parent it was quite scary. I felt really isolated and alone that morning being so far away from my loved ones. Strange as it might sound, Danny must have sensed my feelings that morning and sprang to action. He sat down next to me (which was initially surprising since there were lots of other vacant seats) and proceeded to talk with me about many different subjects (NKU, teaching, my recent tenure promotion, and my English ancestry, to name a few) for the whole drive. We never talked about my family (being a rather private person), but we didn’t have to. For those couple of hours I didn’t feel so alone, and it gave me a much better outlook for the rest of the trip.
I’ve had several interactions with Danny in London and NKU since then, but none will be as special as that cold morning in a bus…er, coach… Thanks, Danny.