7 Comments

*D*eep *S*pace *9*?

And thanks for the career reflection. I've been on a five year process of accepting where I'm at — good at secure government job, but not necessarily great. Accepting less than the best feels like settling, but I look at the cost of greatness (in a divorce ridden industry like architecture) and F' that.

Expand full comment

YES! Deep Space Nine!!! Thank you. It was the non sequitness of the note that threw me.

I think I was in my late thirties when I realized I would never be a “star”, never be a millionaire, never write a best-seller. Fortunately, I also realized that my happiness did not depend on doing those things. It took me longer to let go of trying to be the perfect parent, tho.

Expand full comment

Yes! I think it all kind of settled into my psyche around when I turned 40 a few years ago. Also I saw the danger of audience capture over the past few years after watching a bunch of seemingly reasonable heterodox contrarians lose their minds over COVID.

I'm realizing that my anonymity may be more important to my happiness than I realized.

Then again I obviously don't want to stay anonymous, otherwise I wouldn't publish my own blog - and go through the effort of crossposting on Substack! I guess I want to be read, but I don't mind if I don't become widely read? Weird...doesn't make sense really...the mind and motivations are tricky beasts.

Expand full comment

Makes perfect sense to me. I am known where I need to be known, but can go through the world as an observer. Gave up total anonymity when I published my first book and decided “Joyomama” was unprofessional.

Expand full comment

Dammit, that's awesome! I wish I had thought of that "joyomama" ... though I wouldn't have been brave enough to use it,

I did come close — my email address is joypog: J(ustus) P(an)G

Expand full comment

Grading? Isn’t that what TAs are for? (Yup, I got that grand job during my grad school career.j

Expand full comment

Not in a small department in the Humanities. Our grad students taught their own courses, and we all did our own grading.

Expand full comment