Harvard and my dream

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Tourist Trap.”

I once went to the Harvard University campus in Boston. It was an unplanned visit. My family was visiting Boston and I was intent on seeing all the sights I could take in during the 5 day visit.

It was October- the fall colours were just coming out. The leaves were of every colour and hue you could imagine.

It was that time of my life, when my husband was sick- mortally sick- not of any gross physical disease but of mental fatigue. He had given up on himself and his life- having given himself just a few days to live. And in the midst of this he brought us, his family on our first visit to the US.

He was least interested in seeing the sights and spent more time at the Convention Center in downtown Boston than with us.

On the last day, I told him about Harvard university and how much it meant and should mean to doctors- it was supposed to be the Mecca of Medicine and one which every doctor would want to visit at least once his life. He was not convinced. Finally I had to tell him about ” Doctors” written by Erich Segal, in which he describes life of a medico at Harvard Medical School. This convinced him and he decided to come with me to worship at my temple.

We walked from downtown Boston, across the Charles river, on the Longfellow bridge and reached the MIT campus- I remember taking a few photographs there. We lingered there for a bit. It had been a long walk but it was not over yet.

A few steps further we reached the Harvard Medical School campus and the Harvard square. We saw the accommodations of the medical students and many medical students walking through the streets. Finally we reached the main gate of the Medical School.

It was late afternoon by then- the children had been left to their own devices in our hotel room. We needed to hurry back. But I was determined to see it all.

We went inside and saw various buildings and monuments inside as much as we could in the failing twilight. We also saw the Chapel used by the founding fathers of this great university. Of course, we didn’t have the time to see everything.

I was immensely grateful for the opportunity to have seen one of the greatest universities in the world with my own eyes and I would like to return there some day, not as a tourist but as a student.

No, don’t laugh at me- I may be middle aged and getting on in years but I have a dream and that dream is yet to come to pass.