So happy to hear you are able to go on with your life and education despite the pain. Inspiring to all of us. Interestingly I once wrote a long scholarly review paper on Slime Molds. They are pretty miraculous.
Well, you've had quite a first PhD year. I hope the summer gives you some time to rest, and give yourself time to heal from your surgery.
Your discussion about getting rid of a houseful of stuff was interesting. When I lived in SE Asia, I realized the benefits of a simple life. Now, as I spend most of my time working on my book, I am appreciating a very simple life. Although I still own a house that my ex and youngest daughter live in, I live in a little 500 square foot apartment with very little stuff. The great benefit of this place is that it is across the street from the city park where I wrote much of my first book. Now that the weather is warming, I will be spending more time there. I regard it as my living room (I'll send you a picture).
I have a pretty minimal amount of stuff. I do still own stuff in storage or still in the house, but, except for my violins, I probably won't keep any of it.
As a society, we need to learn to live with fewer worldly goods. Most of the world's people live with far less than the average American. Life is just better without the burden of stuff. In Borneo, I had a tiny house with a few pieces of furniture, no air conditioning, and a one-burner stove. It was delightful.
So, race to the end of the semester. take some deep breaths, catch up on your sleep, and forge ahead.
Thanks so much Tom, as always, for your thoughtful comment. Sometimes I wonder if my longing for "stuff" is, in a way, a longing for some kind of home, or a connection to people I have lost. Bit that longing is abating. I agree that Americans especially need to live with less. I wonder sometimes if the higher cost of living for my generation and others has to do with an accepted level of constant consumerism (though I know that there are many other factors). What does it mean to be constantly told about the gadgets we need? This constant eye on economic growth? When I was in Europe no one had dryers, and I honestly loved that and imagined how much energy we could save by not having dryers, and also having less clothes to wash. I feel like there are so many ways we could reduce and yet we don't. But I am, and I guess I can continue to focus on myself...
As someone who dropped out of a doctoral program “ABD” when I went through a divorce, I remember all too well the long hours and low pay. It worked for me as long as I was married, but then I couldn’t figure out how to make it work when he left me. And I think I was mentally on my way out anyway at that point. Kudos to you for making it happen!
Thank you Liz! I was in a very precarious situation before this program so the stability does give me *something*. I am so sorry you had to go through a divorce while in your program, that is way too much to navigate. ❤️
Perhaps the divorce and dropping out of academia were symptoms of a wider shift for me. But I can’t complain about where I’ve landed in the decade since!
It is quite remarkable how sometimes the most painful events lead us somewhere we never expected. Often a better somewhere, maybe because we had to transform.
If you are satisfied with the present moment and who you are in that moment I'd call that happiness. Happiness doesn't have to be accompanied with over the top joy - as it usually presented -, it can be found in a moment of peace.
So happy to hear you are able to go on with your life and education despite the pain. Inspiring to all of us. Interestingly I once wrote a long scholarly review paper on Slime Molds. They are pretty miraculous.
Thank you so much!! And slime molds are amazing to me.
Well, you've had quite a first PhD year. I hope the summer gives you some time to rest, and give yourself time to heal from your surgery.
Your discussion about getting rid of a houseful of stuff was interesting. When I lived in SE Asia, I realized the benefits of a simple life. Now, as I spend most of my time working on my book, I am appreciating a very simple life. Although I still own a house that my ex and youngest daughter live in, I live in a little 500 square foot apartment with very little stuff. The great benefit of this place is that it is across the street from the city park where I wrote much of my first book. Now that the weather is warming, I will be spending more time there. I regard it as my living room (I'll send you a picture).
I have a pretty minimal amount of stuff. I do still own stuff in storage or still in the house, but, except for my violins, I probably won't keep any of it.
As a society, we need to learn to live with fewer worldly goods. Most of the world's people live with far less than the average American. Life is just better without the burden of stuff. In Borneo, I had a tiny house with a few pieces of furniture, no air conditioning, and a one-burner stove. It was delightful.
So, race to the end of the semester. take some deep breaths, catch up on your sleep, and forge ahead.
Thanks so much Tom, as always, for your thoughtful comment. Sometimes I wonder if my longing for "stuff" is, in a way, a longing for some kind of home, or a connection to people I have lost. Bit that longing is abating. I agree that Americans especially need to live with less. I wonder sometimes if the higher cost of living for my generation and others has to do with an accepted level of constant consumerism (though I know that there are many other factors). What does it mean to be constantly told about the gadgets we need? This constant eye on economic growth? When I was in Europe no one had dryers, and I honestly loved that and imagined how much energy we could save by not having dryers, and also having less clothes to wash. I feel like there are so many ways we could reduce and yet we don't. But I am, and I guess I can continue to focus on myself...
As someone who dropped out of a doctoral program “ABD” when I went through a divorce, I remember all too well the long hours and low pay. It worked for me as long as I was married, but then I couldn’t figure out how to make it work when he left me. And I think I was mentally on my way out anyway at that point. Kudos to you for making it happen!
Thank you Liz! I was in a very precarious situation before this program so the stability does give me *something*. I am so sorry you had to go through a divorce while in your program, that is way too much to navigate. ❤️
Perhaps the divorce and dropping out of academia were symptoms of a wider shift for me. But I can’t complain about where I’ve landed in the decade since!
It is quite remarkable how sometimes the most painful events lead us somewhere we never expected. Often a better somewhere, maybe because we had to transform.
If you are satisfied with the present moment and who you are in that moment I'd call that happiness. Happiness doesn't have to be accompanied with over the top joy - as it usually presented -, it can be found in a moment of peace.