Wonderful
I just got back late yesterday afternoon from the Conference I and a big cadre of my students were at this weekend. When I arrived home, my wife and I hopped on over to the pool, had a quick swim together and then I scurried home to get dressed up in my band attire to go and play at the last concert of our season. The tradition is that after the last concert of the season, the band members go out eat and/or have a few drinks afterwards. I felt a bit too bushed and begged off this time, even though I would have enjoyed a beer or two. I knew I needed more the time to try to get enough sleep so I could get up at 5:00 to do my run, so that I could get that in before I had to start lecturing at 8:00am this morning (until 5:30pm, other than my two 15 minutes breaks (like this one)).
The conference went really well! Six project were presented.... one rat, two nematode, and three fruit fly research strands presented their findings. Twelve of my student researchers were able to go to the conference to be actual co-presenters of their findings. They really enjoyed the academically fun experience, and a few were also eager to go visit several of the schools who had tables talking about their various graduate and medical school programs as well. All their presentations went really well, and they (and I) received a considerable number of complements about our projects and our presentations. Two different faculty from two different schools also approached me to inquire about possibly seeing if we could form a collaboration of some kind as well. So, that too was very nice.
My culinary highlight was being able to eat some absolutely delightful Ethiopian food at a restaurant near the conference site. Ethiopian food is SO GOOD. I had not had Injera Bread in a LONG TIME.
I am thinking this week I am going to likely restart my reply to comments post.... and try again to do this once a week. I think it is good for me to do so, as it helps clarify things in my mind to things that are discussed and asked. I also have a few other ideas about trying to have at least one post a week focus on my thoughts..... positives.... and also worries..... about a potential retirement.
PipeTobacco
2 Comments:
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Professor, as you think about retirement, I'll echo something I have heard people mention on several occasions of late. Perhaps instead of thinking in terms of retirement, you could reframe those thoughts into thoughts about re-fire-ment -- meaning that you aren't looking toward an end of activity, but rather toward an ability to re-fire, re-launch, in a new direction appropriate to your current place in life.
In other words, it's not so much about "not a full-time tenured professor anymore." It's about "what will fulfill me in the years ahead, and how can I arrange for that fulfillment with the resources (time, money, skills, health, etc.) I have available?"
For some folks, that's mostly a scaling down or scaling back on the same old stuff they've been doing for 40+ years. For others, it may mean embarking on some entirely new project or even new career. For many it will be some combination of the two.
Have you talked to your Retirees Cigar Group friends about their experience as retirees? I'm going to guess that they have some lessons to share, both positive and negative. Perhaps He-Whose-Name-Embarrasses-Him has been through some stuff that can either inspire you or caution you? My old friend Mortimer had an exceptionally fulfilling retirement, while my dear friend Ignatius lurched from one crisis to another. For that matter, did your father and/or father-in-law leave you with any useful guidance, whether by words or by example? I trust that you'll figure out what will work best for you!
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