“For auld lang syne, my jo; For auld lang syne.” — Robert Burns
I happened to be at NKU and stopped in to say hello to Mike Klembara.
Mike was a professor of mathematics and the director of the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad. As with most folks in this part of the world, Mike and I had many connections.
Following a brief chat, Mike said that he was offering me a visiting professorship to the University of Stirling in Scotland. It would run a full semester and include an apartment on the Stirling campus.
I tried to appear professional and interested. . .but how could he know that my maternal side’s generations had lived in the town next to Stirling.
“That’s lovely,” I stammered,” I’ll think about it.”
I took a side trip on the way home via my mother’s place.
“It comes with an apartment,” I told her. “You’ll have to come over for some of the time to keep me company.”
Yes, we’ll think about it. My mother had become a naturalized citizen of the United States. She hadn’t returned to Scotland since she left at age six with her family.
The Stirling offer came as the fall semester was ending. With the New Year 1991, we had the first Gulf War. I wasn’t interested in being out of the country then. Spring semester got underway.
A few months later, with the war over, my mother raised the question, “I’ve been thinking about the Stirling offer and wondered what you’ve decided to do about it.”
I turned the question back to her and found that she was interested in going to Scotland.
“We don’t need a visiting professorship to go to Scotland,” I said.
In addition to exchanging cards that past Christmas, Aunt Kate’s son had phoned to let Aunt Kate say Merry Christmas and speak to my mother, her favorite niece, whom she hadn’t seen for almost seventy years. Aunt Kate was nearing 100 years old, and Mother was in her mid-70’s. We had a connection to family in Edinburgh. We could base ourselves in Edinburgh and visit our family there.
When the spring semester ended, my mother and I headed to Scotland.
Motherland
Come stroll this prom
And sandy shore
As others have
Ages before.
Your mother and
Her mother, too,
Left their footprints
And so must you.
— JHarris, Portobello 1991
Judy Harris is well established in Northern Kentucky life, as a long-time elementary and university educator. A graduate of Thomas More, she began her career there in 1980 where she played a key role in teacher education and introduced students to national and international travel experiences. She has traveled and studied extensively abroad. She enjoys retirement yet stays in daily contact with university students.