I should be writing a paper on The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. But instead, it's time for another round of "What Should I Do With My Life?"
I came across an organization today called Words Without Borders, and its mission is to bring international literature into, primarily American, classrooms. They're all about translating and sharing, and I think that American classrooms are the worst at exposing kids to international literature, so that seems to be who they're targeting.
But it got me thinking. That maybe I should still be considering a Doctorate so I can teach Mediterranean Lit in translation, after I've translated it. Or maybe teach it not in translation, but there are probably more job opportunities for English classes in English.
I could also teach my class in the literary merit of bumper stickers and commercial jingles with a Doctorate. But, where would I get a Doctorate? Penn?
University of Phoenix?
Just kidding. I'm pretty sure that place doesn't even exist. It's like Professor Emilius Browne's College of Witchcraft.
Okay, readers, I put it to all two or three of you.
What should I do with my life?
a) Doctorate and teach
b) Master's and publishing
c) hit the lotto, start up a publishing company/writer's retreat in Middle-of-Nowhere-New York. (the Middle of No Where bit is, amazingly, on the Pro side of Pros and Cons of a writer's retreat. What else is there to do but write? You guessed it...nothing.)
d) all of the above
e) hit the lotto, buy a house in Italy, be a hermit.
Cast your vote.
f.) none of the above.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you need to take time to figure out what you like and what you're willing to work for to do. You're what, 21? There's nothing saying you need "all this and more before 24..."
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You have all the time in the world. If you're unsure about what you want (realistically speaking, because really, you have, what, one or two realistic goals on there? Winning the lotto does not count as a realistic goal...especially is you don't even PLAY lotto ;) ).
I haven't seen in your life that positive an attitude toward teaching. In fact, most of the time we talk about it, you say, "And that's why I'm not going to teach."
So I don't really think that's a realistic option for you, unless you've had some life-changing experience where now teaching is AWESOME. Honestly, teaching is not AWESOME, unless you WANT to do it. And if you're looking at it like, "Eh, I could do this..." You're not going to be very good at it, either. You have to care about it, first.
So maybe you need to figure out what you care about enough to work for, first.