Leaving Academia

At a particularly low point in a particularly low day--low, I think, because I received a couple of e mails from the university regarding my "separation" from the university, supplying me with a list of things I needed to take care of, including but not limited to giving back my keys and sending in my parking pass--I was uplifted by a quote from a posting on the website Leaving Academia (www.leavingacademia.com) . It's from a the movie directer (not the dead actor) Steve McQueen. . Here it is

"At the end of the day, you know, we die. It’s not about money or how much stuff you can take with you–it’s all about what you do. As long as I can pay my mortgage, I’m happy–it’s as simple as that. Therefore we can take risks, because what else is there? There’s nothing else to do, literally. As long as you can have shelter and you can eat and you’ve some clothes on your back, what else is there to do but to take risks?"

Since I don't even have a mortgage, I guess I have even less to worry about. Of course, to paraphrase Henry Kissenger, there are risks and there are risks. I take it this isn't a license to have sex without a condom or play a round of Russian Roulette. But I think I have a sense to what sort of actions this prescription applies to and at least for tonight I'm willing to classify my choice along with these.

And I can't close tonight without commenting on the irony of the fact that when I was going into philosophy everyone thought I was crazy for going into it and now that I'm leaving people think I'm crazy for getting out. No pleasing some folks.