The life less lived?

[Statius]

Very interesting and open stuff, folks. A bit more of my boring story, which some may know parts of. I used to be a professor of Ancient Greek and Latin literature. I taught for several years at different universities. Published a couple of things. Was quite good at it, if I do say so myself (teaching, writing, research, etc, etc.) But I gave it up....for a few different reasons. Doesn't matter what, because I gave it up, so that's that. Now I'm in a field that is potentially very lucrative, a crap load of work, 6 days a week, but really 24/7. I think I like it..at least I do some days. Others, I say "WTF did I do??? I was in the ivory tower! I had it all!" Lately I flip flop back and forth on this. Honest to god, sometimes I think I should quit it all, become an effing school bus driver so I can have summers and holidays off, and just travel, run, swim, read, write, live...and occasionally drive a bus, and die old and happy...but unfulfilled?? Damn it all. Sometimes I think I just need to develop my sticktoitiveness muscles, and that life is hard and this is normal and that the life I had as a prof is an anomaly best not thought about.

In fact, I think of this Kit Kat commercial (the irony being Jason Statham works pretty hard, I should think...)

[Seriously]

Very interesting and open stuff, folks. A bit more of my boring story, which some may know parts of. I used to be a professor of Ancient Greek and Latin literature. I taught for several years at different universities. Published a couple of things. Was quite good at it, if I do say so myself (teaching, writing, research, etc, etc.) But I gave it up....for a few different reasons. Doesn't matter what, because I gave it up, so that's that. Now I'm in a field that is potentially very lucrative, a crap load of work, 6 days a week, but really 24/7. I think I like it..at least I do some days. Others, I say "WTF did I do??? I was in the ivory tower! I had it all!" Lately I flip flop back and forth on this. Honest to god, sometimes I think I should quit it all, become an effing school bus driver so I can have summers and holidays off, and just travel, run, swim, read, write, live...and occasionally drive a bus, and die old and happy...but unfulfilled?? Damn it all. Sometimes I think I just need to develop my sticktoitiveness muscles, and that life is hard and this is normal and that the life I had as a prof is an anomaly best not thought about.

Go back to teaching? , do this? , do that? , you're not trapped in whatever you do ...... are you ?

Another way of thinking about it is you've done that (the teaching) , you enjoyed it at the time, now you're doing this (or that) , maybe sometime you'll be enjoying something else.....

[Raza]

Very interesting and open stuff, folks. A bit more of my boring story, which some may know parts of. I used to be a professor of Ancient Greek and Latin literature. I taught for several years at different universities. Published a couple of things. Was quite good at it, if I do say so myself (teaching, writing, research, etc, etc.) But I gave it up....for a few different reasons. Doesn't matter what, because I gave it up, so that's that. Now I'm in a field that is potentially very lucrative, a crap load of work, 6 days a week, but really 24/7. I think I like it..at least I do some days. Others, I say "WTF did I do??? I was in the ivory tower! I had it all!" Lately I flip flop back and forth on this. Honest to god, sometimes I think I should quit it all, become an effing school bus driver so I can have summers and holidays off, and just travel, run, swim, read, write, live...and occasionally drive a bus, and die old and happy...but unfulfilled?? Damn it all. Sometimes I think I just need to develop my sticktoitiveness muscles, and that life is hard and this is normal and that the life I had as a prof is an anomaly best not thought about.

In fact, I think of this Kit Kat commercial (the irony being Jason Statham works pretty hard, I should think...)

I wouldn't mind knowing what led you away from teaching. I eventually want to go back and teach in a law school.

[Statius]

I wouldn't mind knowing what led you away from teaching. I eventually want to go back and teach in a law school.

Family life. I was hunting for that tenure track job. But in the Humanities and in Classics especially, they are getting harder and harder to get. Adjunct, as you call it in the States, 'sessional' positions are what is out there. You get hired for the school year (sept to april) and then get laid off. You hope to get back to the same school, but maybe you move to another university on the other side of the continent, or in a different country. All fine if you're single perhaps. But if like me you have a wife and 3 kids, moving every 8 months and being unemployed each year and virtually making it impossible for your wife to have a career makes it a non-starter. How long can you do that and stay married and sane? So, my wife focused on her career and stayed in Alberta with the kids while I disappeared for 8 months at a time for several years. So, enough of that she said one day, and I agreed. I like my family and enjoy seeing them. So I quit teaching. With university, it is different: you quit and you are out. You have about 1 maybe 1.5 years to get back into it, but after that you're not viable anymore (too many PhDs nowadays, and even though I won all the big awards and published, I was out). So teaching is done. And I am not going back to school for 2 years to get a teaching degree to teach high school students (I'd end up killing a bunch).

I guess I'm just not used to the corporate go-go-go mentality. I'm used to drinking scotch and thinking about Euripides for a few hours and then writing some stuff about it. I'm learning to embrace this new life as it is lucrative and fast-paced and fun and stressful and rewarding and soul-draining and et cetera. Just like to vent now and then to realign myself and see what my thinking looks like on paper.

[Bwana]

I hate to be the first to mention it, but have you seriously considered it's possibly:
http://www.webmd.com/men/features/mens-midlife-crisis

Really boiling down to understanding our own mortality and aging. By your statements, your basic profile & feelings seem to fit the bill. We all go through it in different ways, examining our goals & dreams...and the path in the future. Some obviously choose much more desperate behavior, which effects family and relationships in a harsher way. Be comfortable in your skin, and believe in your destiny.

I have a suggestion that will solve the problem, and illuminate your path to peace and harmony within.

[Raza]

I hate to be the first to mention it, but have you seriously considered it's possibly:
http://www.webmd.com/men/features/mens-midlife-crisis

Really boiling down to understanding our own mortality and aging. By your statements, your basic profile & feelings seem to fit the bill. We all go through it in different ways, examining our goals & dreams...and the path in the future. Some obviously choose much more desperate behavior, which effects family and relationships in a harsher way. Be comfortable in your skin, and believe in your destiny.

I have a suggestion that will solve the problem, and illuminate your path to peace and harmony within.

I bought a sports car for mine!

[Raza]

Family life. I was hunting for that tenure track job. But in the Humanities and in Classics especially, they are getting harder and harder to get. Adjunct, as you call it in the States, 'sessional' positions are what is out there. You get hired for the school year (sept to april) and then get laid off. You hope to get back to the same school, but maybe you move to another university on the other side of the continent, or in a different country. All fine if you're single perhaps. But if like me you have a wife and 3 kids, moving every 8 months and being unemployed each year and virtually making it impossible for your wife to have a career makes it a non-starter. How long can you do that and stay married and sane? So, my wife focused on her career and stayed in Alberta with the kids while I disappeared for 8 months at a time for several years. So, enough of that she said one day, and I agreed. I like my family and enjoy seeing them. So I quit teaching. With university, it is different: you quit and you are out. You have about 1 maybe 1.5 years to get back into it, but after that you're not viable anymore (too many PhDs nowadays, and even though I won all the big awards and published, I was out). So teaching is done. And I am not going back to school for 2 years to get a teaching degree to teach high school students (I'd end up killing a bunch).

I guess I'm just not used to the corporate go-go-go mentality. I'm used to drinking scotch and thinking about Euripides for a few hours and then writing some stuff about it. I'm learning to embrace this new life as it is lucrative and fast-paced and fun and stressful and rewarding and soul-draining and et cetera. Just like to vent now and then to realign myself and see what my thinking looks like on paper.

Thanks man. I guess after the corporate world, professing seems like a nice change of pace for me. Plus, I like the idea of actually making a difference, and doing my part to actually shape the next generation of lawyers (once I'm done the bulk of my lawyering). I always wanted to retire into teaching at some point, but it was a pipe dream--I didn't want to teach something I hated, so....

Thought about it as a career, but the two words kept me out of it. "No" and "money". According to Salary.com, a median law professor salary is $154K. Not nothing, that's for sure. Not riches beyond my wildest dreams, but if I lawyer for 8-10 years and then go into teaching, I could put a fair bit away and live on that.

[WWII70]

I may be about to find out. I have worked hard non-stop since graduating college (first a PhD, then 20+ years in the biotech industry). However, my present company just got bought by a larger corporation and I deeply suspect (know, really) that I am about to be laid off. Possibly tomorrow, given the "Town Hall" meeting with the new management that's just been announced. So I may be kicking back for a while.

[Raza]

I may be about to find out. I have worked hard non-stop since graduating college (first a PhD, then 20+ years in the biotech industry). However, my present company just got bought by a larger corporation and I deeply suspect (know, really) that I am about to be laid off. Possibly tomorrow, given the "Town Hall" meeting with the new management that's just been announced. So I may be kicking back for a while.

**** dude. That sucks. I'm sorry to hear that.

[WWII70]

Raza, I appreciate the sentiment but this is not necessary. I'm quite looking forward to the change of pace (for a few weeks/months at least) which, I think, was the point of the OP. I'll let y'all know how I find the comparison....

**** dude. That sucks. I'm sorry to hear that.