I skipped my morning run in order to have breakfast with Margaret at R&R before leaving for Manchester’s British New Testament Conference. Everything went swimmingly until I disembarked in Mancs and was obliged to swim, almost, from the station to the University, and then the University to their housing block for delegates.It’s a good thing Margaret supplied me with a rain poncho, because otherwise I’d have been drenched absolutely to the bone. (Now I’m just relatively drenched.) (I don’t know what that would mean.)
I caught the bus with Tom de Bruin, whom I didn’t recognise, alas. This seals my entry into Stage Five of the Conference Scholar Aging Process: Stage One, eager pre-degree fan of senior scholars, hanger-on of [academically] hot junior scholars; Stage Two, junior scholar making connections with senior scholars; Stage Three, senior scholar hanging out with other senior scholars and junior colleagues; Stage Four, Past Peak senior scholar seeing many more people at this conference whom I just don’t recognise; Stage Five, I don’t even recognise all the senior scholars who are younger than me (i.e., Tom); Stage Six, Margaret has to remind me who everyone is. Tom is polite and gentle, and pointed me in the correct direction for obtaining my room keys.
Now that I think about it, I was on the younger end of the scholars I used to hang out with, many of whom are now retired and don’t always come to conferences. And it won’t be that long before I’m retired.