Life intervenes.
As it should.
(But only up to a certain point).
Weddings ... birthdays ... irresistible Spring days when you can hear the small planes circling overhead and somehow know -- even with curtains drawn -- that there's a clear, gentle breeze, wispy clouds, lupines and cacti blooming by the trail-side, and that not only Catalina Island, but the whole coastline will be visible from the top of Little Sycamore trail ...
These are the lines that anchor you to the world. These are the people, the places and feelings that tug at you from time to time, and that tempt you to leave your virtuous, your virtual (work and school) life behind. The wedding coincided with my birthday, but before that, there was a rehearsal dinner. And two days later, another friend's birthday, and then the day after that, the birthday of yet another friend. And on the same weekend, two archetypal Spring mornings.
But Week 6 was a pivot point for the internship: the week when I'd need to send my first wave of letters out, when I'd need to begin cataloging postcards -- so I knew in my gut that a few of these lines would have to slide.
The wedding, of course, was a firm obligation: when you're guest of honor and the couple are dear friends, you don't tell them "sorry, I've got to study." But those birthdays! My own could certainly slide: I've reached an age now (mid-forties) where I don't expect, or require, parties or presents anymore -- but my younger friend, who is also dear, and who celebrates his birthday all week long -- he would be crushed if I didn't at least acknowledge his; so we met on our lunch hour for a brief, but fun, meal together. The other friend, who I've only recently become close to, was being thrown a family-style birthday party -- which made for a more difficult decision. Parties, especially of the "family" type, usually expand to fit all remaining hours, and each of those hours had been predesignated for my internship project. So I had to let that line slide. [Rick, if you're reading this, I'm very sorry, but I'll be there next year with bells on, I promise!]
As for those Spring days -- well, there will be others.
(But I did sneak out at sunset to enjoy a brief walk in the fading glow of one).
Most of my letters have been sent; I've made some initial progress on the cataloging, and from here on out, I'll be pushing myself harder to make up for lost time. But it's not really "lost" is it, if you've spent it in enjoyable ways that settle you and help you shift into the intense focus required for the middle -- the most challenging -- part: making sense of all you've researched and received, and communicating that "sense" meaningfully.
2 comments:
It is difficult to prioritize, isn't it? I, too, have missed out on sunny days and friend's parties. The worse part is, this is my job so I don't see a graduation date in the near future. But the best part is, I love this job so it's not really like work. Having said that, though, balance between the personal and professional would be the desired state.
Prof Franks, your comment reminds me of when I was still an undergrad in school and had just started working as a student assistant in the campus library.
One day I was moaning to a co-worker about how horrible it was to have to do work and school together, because it meant I had to stay indoors all day and not go home until it was dark outside ...
My co-worker just laughed a knowing laugh and smiled and said nothing. It was only later that I realized that full-time work kept the same hours that part-time and school did, and that, since I was only just beginning my career, I'd have a to get used to that "not seeing the sun when I got home" bit for , oh, another 40 years or so...
But hey, daylight savings has arrived! So now even the full-time work and part-time students can at least catch a sunset or two each week.
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