Saturday, March 2

Nutty Professor

This week has been strange.  Many things occurred but in all I am concerned I will never, ever, ever get a job.  Ever.  Let alone one I enjoy.  I expressed my concerns to a full-time instructor from my university, when I saw her at a conference, and she gave me some advice:

"Tonia, quit trying to look into the future and do what you need to do now.  Focus on finishing your thesis.  Become the typical nutty professor who has documents, papers, and pens all around, writing, reading, sleeping and writing more.  Give into this time period and really experience it for the next few months, then worry about the rest of it later.  Be in the moment, this moment."  

Tough advice for someone who is always looking into the future, who has student debt, and is anxious about the next few steps of life.  The more I think about her words, the more they are sinking in.  Listen to the people that have come before you and do what they say.  They know more than I and this is actually advice I have heard from several people on campus.  So I let go.  I focus.  I trust in those who know more than I, immersing myself in this experience.  The only way to enjoy the road and the destination.

What will that destination be?  Dang, still looking forward.  Need to go back to writing but I will be updating my Nutty Professor posts once in a while.  Bring on not showering for four days, wearing the same clothes day in day out, and ordering in food keeping my brain and body in top processing shape (maybe a little cooking would be better for the last one).

Nutty professor.  Here I come.  In costume?!?

2 comments:

  1. Living in the moment is good advice for all of us -- students are not. I love the image of being surrounded by papers, books -- especially pens (of all colours)and pencils.

    Whenever I watch students work at college I think of my brother Glen who said to me that if he won the lottery, he would buy a small house by a university and go to school full time for the rest of us life. I love that he values what you are doing now above all other kinds of work and play. I give it the same value.

    Nice to read your post. Will try to live in the moment tomorrow when I go to the Museum of Man to see their Voodoo Exhibit tomorrow. I will think of you doing the same thing, surrounded by papers and books.

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  2. " Be in the moment, this moment."

    Great advice. Look for your job after you get your thesis.

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