Not Dead
Well, here we are again: the eve of another semester.
Alright, actually the semester started yesterday, but that sounded like a more dramatic way to stumble back into this blog. Yesterday was mostly just a run through policies and a review of rosters. In my mind, however, things don't really begin until next week. Only one of my grad classes meets this week, and both of the classes I'm teaching don't really hit full speed until Monday.
This summer has been eventful in many ways. First, I started seeing a lady. We met in October and had kind of dated off and on throughout the spring, but with my school schedule being hellish I don't think we really had a chance to bond until the summer time. And boy, is she lovely. I've dated a handful of women by now, but never have I felt as safe around any of them as I do or as excited to see any of them after 5-6 months of dating as I do her. I sometimes spend all of a day's idle time trying to think of some way to see her. I look forward to each night we spend together and hate parting come morning. Today, I planned out a dinner for tomorrow, trying to come up with a way to cook something enticing on my meager salary.
Second, I've learned that I don't really mind being poor. Of course, I could be more comfortable. But I'm doing well for myself. I'm financially independent, I just moved into a bigger apartment, and I don't have a ton of debt. Things could be much worse. And I still manage to do things like buy and play video games, hit up a bar when I have time, and go out to eat now and then. Sometimes it's very stressful, though. Like now, for instance: I don't get paid until Sept 16. I haven't gotten a real paycheck since the last week of July. But I knew it was coming, and I saved every penny before my teaching salary ended in May and managed to find a job over the summer to cover the ton of unexpected dental bills that hit me in July. Things worked, and I managed, and I don't really mind. Things could be much worse. And things will get better. I have to remember that I'm still in school, half of what I should be paid goes right back into tuition, but it prevents me from taking on debt which is a very good thing in the long run. If I continue to do well professionally, I'll always have pretty good insurance through my employer, and a pension to look forward to, and full-salaried paid leave for an entire semester every two years (ah yes, the wonders of sabbaticals...).
Third, I don't really give a shit about the professional pissing contest that everyone gets wrapped up in. I made a decision to get into this line of work, I enjoy it, and I don't think I should be treated poorly for not going into business or law or medicine or whatever else everyone thinks is more worthwhile. I don't pretend that teaching literature is going to change the world, or that it's really in any sense revolutionary like some poor souls in my program, but I do know that teaching people how to write and to think and to read complicated material is a joy. I like reading and thinking about words. I could do it all day long, and on many occasions, I do. It's great that I can get paid for it, too.
Four, I'm not scared of the job market for English PhDs. My approach to language is flexible and draws on a variety of frameworks. I spend most of time studying publishing history: laws, the business, the technology, and cultural impact. I have about 6 months of experience working in publishing and hope to land at least another year or two once assistantships at the university open up. I figure I could be attractive enough for someone looking to fill an American literature position, but could also talk my way into a Communications department or possibly even a mid-level position at a publishing house if I can translate my CV into a resume. I just have to get my foot in the door somewhere once school is over. One step at time. It seems manageable. I'm a hard worker, do well with people in professional situations, can figure things out quickly on my own, and have gotten surprisingly good at speaking in public. I'll figure something out.
I'm sure there's more to my summer, but it's almost midnight and I have to teach at 10am. Maybe I'll get an odd urge to revist here and write a bit more.
Alright, actually the semester started yesterday, but that sounded like a more dramatic way to stumble back into this blog. Yesterday was mostly just a run through policies and a review of rosters. In my mind, however, things don't really begin until next week. Only one of my grad classes meets this week, and both of the classes I'm teaching don't really hit full speed until Monday.
This summer has been eventful in many ways. First, I started seeing a lady. We met in October and had kind of dated off and on throughout the spring, but with my school schedule being hellish I don't think we really had a chance to bond until the summer time. And boy, is she lovely. I've dated a handful of women by now, but never have I felt as safe around any of them as I do or as excited to see any of them after 5-6 months of dating as I do her. I sometimes spend all of a day's idle time trying to think of some way to see her. I look forward to each night we spend together and hate parting come morning. Today, I planned out a dinner for tomorrow, trying to come up with a way to cook something enticing on my meager salary.
Second, I've learned that I don't really mind being poor. Of course, I could be more comfortable. But I'm doing well for myself. I'm financially independent, I just moved into a bigger apartment, and I don't have a ton of debt. Things could be much worse. And I still manage to do things like buy and play video games, hit up a bar when I have time, and go out to eat now and then. Sometimes it's very stressful, though. Like now, for instance: I don't get paid until Sept 16. I haven't gotten a real paycheck since the last week of July. But I knew it was coming, and I saved every penny before my teaching salary ended in May and managed to find a job over the summer to cover the ton of unexpected dental bills that hit me in July. Things worked, and I managed, and I don't really mind. Things could be much worse. And things will get better. I have to remember that I'm still in school, half of what I should be paid goes right back into tuition, but it prevents me from taking on debt which is a very good thing in the long run. If I continue to do well professionally, I'll always have pretty good insurance through my employer, and a pension to look forward to, and full-salaried paid leave for an entire semester every two years (ah yes, the wonders of sabbaticals...).
Third, I don't really give a shit about the professional pissing contest that everyone gets wrapped up in. I made a decision to get into this line of work, I enjoy it, and I don't think I should be treated poorly for not going into business or law or medicine or whatever else everyone thinks is more worthwhile. I don't pretend that teaching literature is going to change the world, or that it's really in any sense revolutionary like some poor souls in my program, but I do know that teaching people how to write and to think and to read complicated material is a joy. I like reading and thinking about words. I could do it all day long, and on many occasions, I do. It's great that I can get paid for it, too.
Four, I'm not scared of the job market for English PhDs. My approach to language is flexible and draws on a variety of frameworks. I spend most of time studying publishing history: laws, the business, the technology, and cultural impact. I have about 6 months of experience working in publishing and hope to land at least another year or two once assistantships at the university open up. I figure I could be attractive enough for someone looking to fill an American literature position, but could also talk my way into a Communications department or possibly even a mid-level position at a publishing house if I can translate my CV into a resume. I just have to get my foot in the door somewhere once school is over. One step at time. It seems manageable. I'm a hard worker, do well with people in professional situations, can figure things out quickly on my own, and have gotten surprisingly good at speaking in public. I'll figure something out.
I'm sure there's more to my summer, but it's almost midnight and I have to teach at 10am. Maybe I'll get an odd urge to revist here and write a bit more.