My ten year old brought home from school a handmade Christmas gift for me and my husband. His
artwork represented his thankfulness--thankful his mom and dad have money. Inside I was chuckling to myself--"if he only knew." After all, we've been living primarily on my educator's salary for his entire ten years of life, plus the adjunct instructor pay my husband receives and periodic consulting or writing work I do on the side or random editing jobs Chris picks up when they are available. If you know anything about adjunct pay, it's not much. When Chris finished his PhD a few months ago, I was sure our financial situation would change because he would finally have full time work with benefits (I had plenty to learn about how one finds a full time faculty position--whew!). Many people equate a hard earned degree with a job, but things don't always work out that way. Well, the job market for people with PhDs in English leaves plenty to be desired. Needless to say, my husband and I have been just short of wallowing in despair this Christmas because of the ongoing job situation for him.
Leave it to a ten year old to remind us of what we have. We have money, just enough for what we need, and a full-time job for my husband will come along eventually. We also have so much more--love, family, friends, a home, food, and education--lots of education.
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future."
~~Dickens
artwork represented his thankfulness--thankful his mom and dad have money. Inside I was chuckling to myself--"if he only knew." After all, we've been living primarily on my educator's salary for his entire ten years of life, plus the adjunct instructor pay my husband receives and periodic consulting or writing work I do on the side or random editing jobs Chris picks up when they are available. If you know anything about adjunct pay, it's not much. When Chris finished his PhD a few months ago, I was sure our financial situation would change because he would finally have full time work with benefits (I had plenty to learn about how one finds a full time faculty position--whew!). Many people equate a hard earned degree with a job, but things don't always work out that way. Well, the job market for people with PhDs in English leaves plenty to be desired. Needless to say, my husband and I have been just short of wallowing in despair this Christmas because of the ongoing job situation for him. Leave it to a ten year old to remind us of what we have. We have money, just enough for what we need, and a full-time job for my husband will come along eventually. We also have so much more--love, family, friends, a home, food, and education--lots of education.
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| Graduation Day May 2013 |
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future."
~~Dickens
