At the age of 48, with a Ph.D I am doing nothing with, I found myself unemployed, introspective, and self-punishing when I saw an ad for a position at the opera. It was an in-between position, not a clerk, but not a manager, just a job that I thought I could do given my combined skills. So I applied.
I live in a desirable state where many people are underemployed, not unlike Italy, which is the home of opera and itself a desirable place to live. The opera director expressed some puzzlement about my enthusiasm for the job I wanted. Why would I take the job with my qualifications? But, and this is rhetorical, but should be a serious question, what are my qualifications? Yes, I have a Ph.D. Yes, I have taught, managed people, done research, devised programs, and written a variety of documents. For what does that prepare me? Something, and I will come back to this, but I need to examine a personal drawback now.
I have not always been a good person, a kind person, a responsible person. Part of where I am right, playing Cinderella, is karmic wages. I haven't always been grateful, gracious, or sensitive to others. I have also been dishonest, deceitful, resistant to authority and lazy. With these personality deficits, I feel lucky I have landed somewhat on my feet.
What generated this need to write again was the announcement today by my boss that, in addition to my regular duties, I would be filling in for the receptionist on breaks and lunch. My first reaction, which I kept to myself, was, I HAVE A PH.D.!!!!! Why am I doing the kind of work I did when I was 17-fucking-years old?
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