What a week

So, I defended my dissertation this week.  After spending, quite literally, thousands of hours thinking about, writing about, collaborating about, analyzing about, and talking about this research I've been doing the last few years, I presented it to the powers that be and they made sure I had an inkling of what I was talking about.

And, just like that, I became a Doctor.

After a friend of mine defended her dissertation, some asked her if she felt taller and she declared that she actually did. After I defended, I totally understood how she felt - I, too, actually felt taller.  I think it had to do with the combination of the lifting of a proverbial burden that felt very real, especially during these last few stressful weeks, and the ability to finally breathe a completely relaxed sigh of relief that literally made me stand just a little bit taller.

It is an interesting thing to put so much focused energy into one particular field of study and dwell there for so much time.  After awhile, you forget that your knowledge is unique or special in any way at all.  It becomes so commonplace to you, you are certain that everyone knows everything there is to know about phonological deficits in children and that there is nothing special about the years you have spent acquiring new knowledge.

And then you stand before a bunch of professors you hugely admire and answer the questions they have about your research.  At some point, you realize they're not just asking you questions to test your knowledge, they're asking you questions because they want to learn from you.  And, if things have gone according to plan, it turns out you actually know a thing or two that you can share with them.  Who knew?

Standing tall with my fabulous mentors

It's been a great week.  :-)