Final Call, a poem by Dr Shona Russell

For the third instalment of our Reducing Aviation Emissions blog series, we have a poem by Dr Shona Russell. Dr Russell is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management, University of St Andrews Business School. She is Co-Director of the Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research.  She currently serves on the boards of the Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, the Critical Perspectives on Accounting Journal and the Social and Environmental Accountability Journal.

Dr Russell has written a personal reflection on the need to fly for academic conferences, whilst juggling caring responsibilities, via the medium of a poem. 

 
Final Call 
 
She stands. 
Waiting. 
 
Backpack on 
Passport in hand 
 
She remembers… 
The email. 
The invitation. 

--- 
 
Give a talk? 
International audience 
 
Present. 
Learn. 
Connect. 
 
A little glow. 
Accepted. 
Part of the community.  
 
Her mentor says 
“Go for it” 
Demonstrate peer esteem.  
Build networks. 
Essential for career. 
 
All possible. 
All positive. 
 
Or is it? 

--- 
 
What are the costs? 
 
Time?  
It’s next year. 
Money? 
There’s a budget. 
Childcare?  
I’ll work it out.  
Carbon? 
Oh. 
 
--- 
 
Carbon?
What to do?

Avoid the question.
Book the flight.
 
No.
Gather more info.
Build a spreadsheet.
Criteria?
Time
Carbon
Cost
Care
Career
 
Look at routes.
Delegate.
Ask the travel agent.

4 hours flight for £500 return
Time to present.
Time to network.
And see the sights
Tick.
Done in 5 days.

 
What about the train?
Not possible, agent replies.
Huh?
The map says “yes”.
Agent says “no”.
What to do?
Take on the task.
How to get there?
What routes?

Search the net.
Ask around.
 
An overnight stay.
A sleeper
3 days one-way!
Return £1400
8 days in total
---

Is it worth it?
---

Too expensive!
It’ll blow the budget!

The allure of going slow
Of having …
Space
and
Time
to
Breathe
to
Muse
to
Think
 
But…

Deadlines loom.
Just decide.
No time.
Commit!
Move on.
---

What to do?
What else to consider?
Teaching?
Family?
Sorting out the everyday?

Exhausted

---

Easier just to stay put.
Too much hassle.
Too much time.
Too expensive.
Too many emissions.
---

But…

---
She seeks
Connections
Conversations
Inspiration

---

Time to reach out.

Are you going?
How long for?
Time to catch up?
Stay on for a while?
Travel together?
 
Look at the diary.

Is there time?
Can things be shuffled?
Will duties be covered?
 
Consult spreadsheet.
Can budgets be blown?

---

She stands.
Waiting.
 
Backpack on
Passport in hand

“Next”

She steps up.
Hands over her passport