Out Of Academia

I will get back to this at some point!

Over the past several weeks I have noticed that many of my friends are leaving academia. It seems to be a nearly daily occurrence on my Facebook feed to see someone leave an academic or research institution for positions in finance, sales, and other, completely unrelated, fields. Having been in that same situation myself, I know both the pros and cons of that field and while there are many great benefits derived from leaving academia there are also a number of things that I miss on a regular basis namely the time and freedom to think, debate, and explore.

While I have enjoyed my career beyond the studious walls, there are times when I think about the work that I was able to do and the pieces I was able to publish. Those are the times when I miss the long days, late nights, and piles of rejection letters. It is a life that is fueled by the occasional kind note, acceptance letter, and rare inclusions in literary journals. And, at least for me on the literary side of things, it is a way of life that is disappearing and is rarely provides a means of financial support. This is the primary reason that I have heard from those leaving academia and it was my reason as well.

Many of us who have departed continue to find small ways to remain active in this unique world. When I first left I continued writing and submitting to publications keeping the daily routine of rejection sprinkled with acceptances. Since those early days on the outside, I did stray from writing and research for a little while but, since then, I have slowly come back to those relaxing and stressful habits.

The industry in which I now work does provide a little bit of the same feeling that I would get in academia. I still write for clients and seek inclusion in a variety of publications… a completely different set of publications but the process is quite similar. However, it has been the personal projects that have brought me back to those productive days namely researching my family and keeping this daily blog.

Even though the results are completely different from what I used to produce (and definitely less polished), I am back in the process and have a daily routine that combines my previous life with my current one. With that said, discovering where I come from, exploring who I am, and sharing both my discoveries and opinions is proving to be just as fulfilling as the work that I once produced. Maybe someday I can even go back to publishing but, for now, I will simply enjoy the process.

Time To Look At The Records…

I have been thinking a lot about my college days as of late. Things have changed so much since those years when my biggest worry was getting my writing done and sending them out for publication. While this writing holds some of the same qualities as the work that I was dong then it is still a completely different process but in the actual writing and, of course, all the other things that are swirling around in my mind as I put my thoughts on the page.

Thoughts of these days have been popping into my head both because I am itching to publish again but also because my wife is embracing her education in a way that I was never really able to do. Throughout my higher education I was always working on numerous projects in addition to getting the usual work done for class. I guess some things really haven’t changed.

My wife is completely different. She takes her education very seriously and always has which is why she has always exceeded my limited educational achievements. From graduating with honors from her undergraduate college to completing her first graduate class this past week with a 4.0. Both of these hard earned honors are things that I never even came close to in the years I spend in college. Honestly, I wish I had her focus.

It really makes me think about all the things that I have going on at this moment and all the energy that has been spent just trying to keep things moving forward. But I can’t imagine things any other way. As I have said before, I have to keep busy and if this keeps me from being an academic then so be it. A few years ago there may have been room for change but I am enjoying the hectic life too much to slow down. My wife is able to keep an academic pace and focus that has long escaped me, if I ever really had it, and while I am a worker, she is the thinker. Our respective academic records support me on this.   

I have always been a proponent of backing up your statements with facts. Unfortunately, I have to regrettably call my wife a liar at this point for a very simple reason… and I think you will all agree with me. I make this bold statement because for all the years that we have known each other and the nearly five years that we have been married my wife has always made some self-deprecating statement or allusion that I am so much smarter. Well, I am calling BS on that because if you look at the facts, I am clearly not the smartest one in this marriage.