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 Some
things we recognize are possible, but don’t think much about,
either because the likelihood seems remote or because the very
thought of it makes us uncomfortable. Thus it had occurred to
me from time to time: What if, for some unexpected and nonnegotiable
reason, Steve or I ever had to withdraw from the METS trip at
the last minute. Who would lead our group? Certainly a possibility,
but one I preferred not to think about, until it happened.
Cataract
surgery in April led to lingering retina complications. Then,
three days before the METS class of 2008 was scheduled to arrive
for Orientation, I had the following conversation with my retina
specialist (abbreviated):
RS:
“There appears to be a small, pin-point hole in your
retina. Not exactly an emergency, but we need to fix it,
lest it develop into a more serious tear.”
Max:
“How urgent? I’ve got a trip coming up next
week.”
RS:
“You are going where! No way! You need to remain close
to a major hospital or airport until we get this thing repaired.” |
So that night
I called my long-time friend and archaeologist colleague, Dr.
Jim Pace, to ask a big favor: “Could you drop everything,
come to Orientation (now just two days away), and lead one of
our METS groups during the three weeks that follow?” He
gulped and then agreed. There was, however, a hitch. There was
not enough time to get him a Syrian visa. So the plan emerged
for me to travel with the group through the Syrian leg of the
trip, and Jim would meet us at the Jordanian border to take them
on from there, while I returned to Atlanta for surgery. Damascus
has a major hospital, though I shuttered at the thought! And even
Palmyra is only three hours away from the Damascus airport.
Of
the various good wishes, warnings and advice that I received during
Orientation, two really got my attention. Pat Pattillo, drawing
on his Georgia Tech engineer training, urged me to consider the
risk from a mathematical perspective: “Better to miss one
METS trip this year than to jeopardize the possibility of leading
several METS trips in the future.” Betsy Birkholz went for
the ego: “The sun will rise even if the rooster does not
crow.” In the end, and after another retina examination
just hours before we were to fly, my doctor had the last word.
The rooster had emergency surgery, waking up about the time that
the METS travelers touched down in Damascus. The sun did indeed
rise as always; the METS magic worked again. It turned out to
be another fantastic experience.
Steve
and Jim did a great job. They are a good team—so much so
that we have asked Jim to join the METS staff on a permanent basis.
For the future, we plan to travel with three leaders each year.
Steve will lead one group, Jim the other, and I will float between.
An added advantage, were it necessary again for one of us to withdraw
in a given year, there still would be two, one for each group.
Of course there is the possibility that two of us might have to
withdraw in a given year. But that is a remote likelihood, and
one I prefer not to think about until it happens.
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