Today I dropped H off at school because of the rain. Normally he rides his bike and I avoid the god awful traffic that is UGA. But it's raining much too hard for bike riding. After I leave him off at the library, I am stuck in traffic. I watch as students scurry off to their various classes. They look alike in their jeans and sweat shirts. Then I see some guy who might be a grad. student or a professor. He has kind of longish curly blond hair, and a beard. He's wearing a corduroy jacket with jeans, and an oxford shirt. He's in intense conversation with one of those jean and sweat shirt clad kids, and it the longing hits me. Not for him. Rather to be him.
I thought I was okay with not going. With maybe going into another field. But I don't think I am okay. I think I am trying to bury the disappointment, the fear of more rejection. Mostly I think I am trying to deal with feeling like a failure. I feel so stalled. And because I feel stalled in this area, I am stalled at everything. Nothing gets done. I sit in front of this computer and eat. But I don't know how to break free from this apathy that has overtaken me.
When I lay out things, a Ph.D seems impossible. Yes, if UGA got a program it might be doable but that means placing everything in this one basket, and frankly after the Austin rejection, I am not confident that I can get in to a new program. I am scared of putting forth so much effort to be rejected. I know it is fear but I am not sure how to move beyond it or even if I should. Maybe I am not cut out for this world, and the rejection is a sign. To fight against fate or not?
And therein lies my problem. I feel like I found something I love to do. I found something I thought I was good at...I seemed to do well in terms of grades, etc. But then that something was snatched away and I am left in this limbo of self doubt. The whole bullshit about just doing what you love, and keep on going, drives me crazy because really at some point, you have to stop fighting battles against the inevitable. If I am no good at this, there is no point in wasting my time convincing other people, I am. And then if that is the case how does one let go? How does one move on?
3 comments:
Forgive me for saying so, but a rejection from UT Austin is not the same as a rejection from academia. Not getting into UT Austin is like not getting in to the NBA or something; you can still play pro basketball. Not getting into UT is not the same as continuing to fight the inevitable. It's just one program, and an elite one at that.
My son-in-law applied for 78 jobs or something like that; all he got was a post-doc from SMU. Now, a year later, he's been hired tenure-track at UC San Diego in polisci. The point being, Ginger, do try try again, if you have the slightest urge to. I've spent virtually all my life in academia; you are as smart and as capable as any grad student I've ever met. When Kathy and I spent that evening with you, we both walked away with a "wow" ...
Of course if you choose not go try for a PhD, we'll still love you ...
wow John, great response! I totally agree, try again if you have the slightest urge to and also the we'll still love you bit ;)
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