The 30-Year Clock

What is the time? 

It's more than 30 years, that's what the time is.

As TigerBlog closes out his 31st year as a Princeton employee and 36th year of covering Princeton Athletics, he was entitled to choose a gift for his 30th anniversary. Employees get to select such a gift after being here in five year increments starting at 25. 

TB's start date back in 1994, by the way, has always meant that he has had to wait most of a year past his anniversary to qualify by human resources rules. 

Five years ago, he chose a Princeton rocking chair. This time around, he went with a really nice clock.

See for yourself.  

That's a nice clock. And how did TB have it engraved? 

Well, what would be appropriate for all these years? He had his name, and then TigerBlog. He's glad he did that.

TigerBlog went to pick up his clock yesterday afternoon on Nassau Street. It was wrapped up nicely, and it wasn't until TB got home that he opened it.

While he was driving, he spent a lot of the time thinking about all the decades he's been at Princeton. He has photos on his laptop that go back to his first days of covering the teams here while he was still at the newspaper, and they always take him right back to those times. 

He got to thinking about what the best moments have been, and he clearly realized that they are divided into two categories: 1) anything to do with his daughter's time as a Princeton student and athlete and 2) everything else.

Then he thought about all of the spring teams that are in the midst of "senior day" season, either just having had it or about to. Then he reread what he wrote about his own experience as a parent on Senior Day for the women's lacrosse team in 2022, rather than someone from the athletic department:

Senior Day for TigerBlog has always been a combination of a pain (in writing the script) and anxiety (getting everyone in the right place at the right time, trying to get the timing right and more than anything else not leaving anyone out). He long ago lost track of how many of these Senior Days he's done from the perspective of someone from athletic communications.

This time, though, it was completely different. This time, he was on the field, along with his daughter, He'd describe it as surreal, to see his own daughter be a part of one of these moments, only there were so many other emotions that were dominant at the time.

As they walked out past a lineup of teammates on either side, TB tried to take as much of it in as possible. As special as this felt to him, this wasn't his moment. This was his daughter's moment.

As such, he found it hard to focus on anything other than her, and as they walked, he saw something that he'll never forget. It was the widest smile his daughter has ever had.

She knew how hard it was for her to get to that moment. And she knew that her Senior Day was something to cherish. 

TB smiled widely as well, all as he brushed away a tear or two.

TigerBlog hasn't looked at a Senior Day ceremony the same ever since.

There's always a pregame discussion of how long to allow for the Senior Day ceremony. The introductions are usually quite quick. What takes the longest? 

It's the picture-taking that follows. 

It's an incredibly special moment. It doesn't matter what the team's success has been. It doesn't matter what the individual player's contribution has been, whether All-American or role player. 

It's a celebration of having spent the four years together, building bonds and sharing experiences that will never go away. You can also mix in the reality that all of that time together is now gone, seemingly in a blink.

And for a parent? It's hard to describe. It all comes back to you — every youth team, every club practice, every mile you drove together on the way to some tournament somewhere, the day you dropped them off at Princeton for the first time, anything that's happened during the years as a Tiger. 

It's your moment too, parents. This, and everything that comes from now through graduation.

TB would tell you to cherish every second, except that he knows full well he doesn't have to do any such thing. It's too obvious for anyone who's gone through it, or is about to do so.