I QUIT
In case you were wondering, I quit. You may ask what; in fact that would be an entirely reasonable question. I guess the answer is academia, though that seems a thoroughly unsatisfactory answer to me. The situation is probably a bit more complex than that single word answer allows. Perhaps I should back up a little and offer a little context.
I am an academic in the conventional sense of the term. You know, robes, classes, office hours, conferences, the whole shtick; or at least I was. Six months ago I left my tenure track position and a respectable midwestern university to live with my wife – a fellow academic at a highly respectable northeastern college. And in between that time and now something has happened. You see, I am no longer qualified – apparently – to be an academic. Despite everything I would have considered to be evidence to the contrary, this must be the case.
Oh, I am perfectly fine to be the bridesmaid, the date invited along to prompt the pretty, desirable one to go out next Friday evening, but woo-worthy no longer. It is not just the juicy tenure lines in question here boys and girls, we’re talking about one-years and adjunctville too. This new found status of unworthiness even seems to extend its reach to staff and support positions as well. Despite pedigrees and experience, I am now the other – though perhaps I have lost the right to use such terminology now that I am not an academic. Perhaps I should better consider myself the cute little baby bunny about six weeks after Easter. You know the one.
I suppose it may be a bit of a reach to say I quit; I haven’t really a choice. But you get the sentiment. Perhaps if some one of you could explain to me what I have done over the past four years of being in your midst that has rendered me a leper I could get a better grasp of things, but since there seems to be a secret handshake to which I am not privy I shall probably never know.
So, until I either figure out what it is I am doing wrong, or decide that I too think cantilevering a piece of black steel is the height of scholarship in my field, I quit.
The only problem is there is nothing else I want to do. So, if anyone out there is still interested I most assuredly would recant the above words and come running back with all possible alacrity.
By the way, does anyone out there have a quaint little teaching position handy?
I am an academic in the conventional sense of the term. You know, robes, classes, office hours, conferences, the whole shtick; or at least I was. Six months ago I left my tenure track position and a respectable midwestern university to live with my wife – a fellow academic at a highly respectable northeastern college. And in between that time and now something has happened. You see, I am no longer qualified – apparently – to be an academic. Despite everything I would have considered to be evidence to the contrary, this must be the case.
Oh, I am perfectly fine to be the bridesmaid, the date invited along to prompt the pretty, desirable one to go out next Friday evening, but woo-worthy no longer. It is not just the juicy tenure lines in question here boys and girls, we’re talking about one-years and adjunctville too. This new found status of unworthiness even seems to extend its reach to staff and support positions as well. Despite pedigrees and experience, I am now the other – though perhaps I have lost the right to use such terminology now that I am not an academic. Perhaps I should better consider myself the cute little baby bunny about six weeks after Easter. You know the one.
I suppose it may be a bit of a reach to say I quit; I haven’t really a choice. But you get the sentiment. Perhaps if some one of you could explain to me what I have done over the past four years of being in your midst that has rendered me a leper I could get a better grasp of things, but since there seems to be a secret handshake to which I am not privy I shall probably never know.
So, until I either figure out what it is I am doing wrong, or decide that I too think cantilevering a piece of black steel is the height of scholarship in my field, I quit.
The only problem is there is nothing else I want to do. So, if anyone out there is still interested I most assuredly would recant the above words and come running back with all possible alacrity.
By the way, does anyone out there have a quaint little teaching position handy?
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