We talked about my "safe schools." (And at this point, I realize that if it's going to amount to attending my "safe school," I might just skip it. I've had too many bad experiences with elephants if you get my drift.) We talked about my "reach school." And it's quite a reach. There are two other schools I'm interested in at the moment. I have three semesters left to punch up my vitae by presenting papers at conferences, making some really good grades and writing as much as I possibly can.
The good news is that my grades are (thus far) solid, I'm planning to co-write a paper for a conference in February for which I'll get a grant and I'm writing a prospectus for a conference at Tennessee Tech in March. (Cross your fingers for me.)
Here's an outline of what I've learned. Maybe I'll expand upon it later. It might be arrogant, but at least it's honest.
1. I like to work hard. I've had jobs that didn't require me to work hard. Sometimes, I kind of got in trouble when I tried. This gave me a complex. Hard work is more important to me than I realized.
2. I like to be challenged. I like to do my best and have to wonder if I'm going to fail or not. Safety is not as important to me as I thought.
3. I don't know if I'm a fantastic writer, but it's what I'm supposed to be doing.
5. I'm more of a feminist than I thought. (Or, maybe I'm just a Susanist.)
6. God cares what goes on inside the Ivory Tower. God is a passionate linguist and truly, truly, the Father of all kinds of Wisdom. There is no wisdom apart from him. He is generous with that wisdom, however, and he shares it with people who don't even believe in him.
7. I'm smart. I'm not the smartest, but I'm smart. I've finally started to wonder what was wrong with all those people at my old job who thought I wasn't, instead of wondering what is wrong with me. (I realize the wrong and I forgive it. This is power. And progress. And immeasurable joy. And gratitude to God who doesn't leave us where we fall.)
And to sum it up with what seems to be the end line of all my best writing ( you who would be joy-thieves):
Amen, Hallelujah.
(And gratitude to God who Does NOT leave us where we fall.)
3 comments:
I need to schedule some Susan time, because I read these posts and always have more to say than I have time/capacity to say in response to a blog post.
So wait...you are going to go for your doctorate after you finish Montevallo, is that what you're talking about? So you will be leaving Birmingham?
I hope to have the chance to finish college, BUT D. has a really good job right now where he is. SO, I'm hoping M'vallo will let me teach for a semester and then I'll worry about that. There are many, many hoops through which to jump.
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