Lessons Learned from Striking a Deal
By Megan Fitzgerald
Dec. 4, 2018
I made a deal with myself upon coming to Beantown. My collegiate running career, my undergraduate program—all prior experiences were in the past. With “The Sunshine State” behind me, I kept telling myself, this is your chance; this is your time. And just as a house key unlocks an apartment door, so Emerson College continually opens doors for its students professionally and academically. All you have to do is welcome them. It’s easy to excuse one event after another, and my introvert inclinations easily repel extrovert opportunities; but since moving to Boston, I’ve made it a habit to take the T to unchartered territory, follow my Citymapper app, and discover new destinations without knowing a single face.
It was one of these opportunistic events that found me upon the Breakwater Reading Series. Like most digital-age produce, I found myself scrolling through the latest social media newsfeed. Posted on an Emerson community page was a detailed description of a reading engagement, in collaboration with BU, UMASS, and Emerson MFA students. Emerson’s Creative Writing program was looking for two readers, and it was on a first-come, first-serve basis. Without hesitation I signed up, without clarity of the time, place, or organization. I didn’t even have a specific piece that flagged my hippocampus, but I had gumption. Vulnerability was ready to flounce itself.
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