Do you remember back in high school when you saw Titanic (or refused, on principle), and there was Leonardio DiCaprio, and he was all, "Woo! I'm king of the world!"? And then a decade or so later you went to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry was riding that hippogriff thing and you were sitting in the audience all "Oh my god, he's king of the world!"? Well, that's how I was last week. King of the world. I had more energy the beginning of last week than I have had in the year 2004. I didn't mind going to work, I didn't mind working on papers, I didn't mind helping in the lab. I didn't even mind going to group meeting. And I had a great time reading the glossary from an immunology textbook at Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. I got up before 6:00 on Wednesday to go running and then took a six-mile bike ride on Thursday.
But now this week is here, and it's all gone. Where did it go? I hate work. I cannot bear to work another second on this paper. It's a different paper from last week (we resubmitted last week's paper, thank goodness), and I hate it. It's a paper that I never wanted to write in the first place. It's a paper based on what was by far the most painful part of my thesis to write. I thought that this would be over, a year and 6 days after I defended my thesis. Well, it will all be over no later than August 31, that I promise. And the thing is, I'm stubborn. If I told my advisor that I didn't think that all of this effort was worth it, I think she would agree to just let me publish what we have in a less prestigious journal, and just end the process. But I can't let myself do that, even though I have plenty of publications, which I don't even care about since I am not going to be a professor. I don't like to produce shoddy work, and I don't like to disappoint people. And that, dear potential future employers who might be reading this, is why you should hire me.
But now this week is here, and it's all gone. Where did it go? I hate work. I cannot bear to work another second on this paper. It's a different paper from last week (we resubmitted last week's paper, thank goodness), and I hate it. It's a paper that I never wanted to write in the first place. It's a paper based on what was by far the most painful part of my thesis to write. I thought that this would be over, a year and 6 days after I defended my thesis. Well, it will all be over no later than August 31, that I promise. And the thing is, I'm stubborn. If I told my advisor that I didn't think that all of this effort was worth it, I think she would agree to just let me publish what we have in a less prestigious journal, and just end the process. But I can't let myself do that, even though I have plenty of publications, which I don't even care about since I am not going to be a professor. I don't like to produce shoddy work, and I don't like to disappoint people. And that, dear potential future employers who might be reading this, is why you should hire me.
9 Comments:
It's true, dear future employer. You could not do better than to hire Heather.
But do not ever, ever, ever ask her to play a getting-to-know-you game. She will cut you.
By
JS, at 9:56 PM, July 21, 2004
I'm not going to have to play games when you move to DC and your friends come to visit, am I? Because I WILL refuse. I've lost friends over my unwillingness to play games - and I'll do it again!
Megs
By
Anonymous, at 10:56 AM, July 22, 2004
No, Heather has pretty much beaten the love of games, and additionally the will to live, out of all of us. Well, I never liked getting-to-know-you games, but I did used to like some other ones.
I have to ask, though--do _all_ of you hate games? Was there some massive childhood trauma involved here? Is it genetic?
By
JS, at 12:07 PM, July 22, 2004
I don't know if Kate and Emily hate games. We certainly never sat around the living room on the weekends playing games as a family, so I suppose a love (or understanding) of games was never encouraged. I only found out about Meagan's hatred of games recently, since she started The Loft, I believe.
And dear potential future employer? I _will_ cut you.
By
Heather, at 12:46 PM, July 22, 2004
I think that we Walling women (don't you just love alliteration?) have no desire to beat people. Hence, playing games, where the purpose is to win and make other people lose, just isn't appealing. Getting-to-know-you games, on the other hand, are just plain dumb.
Mom Walling
By
Anonymous, at 3:42 PM, July 22, 2004
I just think most games are boring. And I'm very uncompetitive. I don't understand people who want to win all the time. But I do think cards are the worst. I cannot fathom how people can enjoy sitting around playing cards all night. I have some ex-friends that would get pretty mad at me and my unwillingness to play games. I would be willing to play a little Pop Culture Trivial Pursuit or a 90210 Trivia Game. If one existed. Sadly, one doesn't.
Megs
By
Anonymous, at 3:54 PM, July 22, 2004
For the record, I have a large desire to beat people. But with my fists and elbows--not with strategy and perseverence.
By
Heather, at 4:30 PM, July 22, 2004
Amen, sister!
Megs
By
Anonymous, at 4:48 PM, July 22, 2004
I think using one's fists and elbows is beating up people, not beating people. In any case, it is a worthwhile pursuit.
Mom Walling
By
Anonymous, at 4:51 PM, July 22, 2004
Post a Comment
<< Home