When the call came on March 21, 2020 it did not feel as if it was God-sent. I accepted the invitation more in bewilderment than in the quiet contentment that professors enjoy on noticing the recognition of their abilities by others.
My reaction surprised me. After all, I have known for ages that appreciation by others is what humans look for to reward themselves and to value their own existence. But I was definitely not basking in the sunshine now. Perhaps I was subdued having moved to Granada just a week back on the very day that Spain went into lockdown. Or, perhaps it was the enormity of the challenge that made me doubt if capability-wise I truly was up for it.
