Ever since I was a wee inyana girl, my mother told me I had to work hard at school, no, she made me swear I would work hard at school. Me, am good at following orders. I did. I worked my arse off for close to twenty years. I am still working my arse off. Problem is, some of us, neh, we aren't geniuses! So we have got to scratch and search and hang in there, and hope everything falls into place.
Short of the story, I managed to secure a red-gown position ie I may actually graduate- degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Mouthful, neh? I am sure something in there is wrongly phrased, but moving right along. I just wonder loudly sometimes what the point of all this reading is. Especially if all you want to do is kick off your shoes, relax your feet and read a good good book, or watch Friends.
When you are out in the cold, as I am now, you get to thinking about life, and the choices you have made. You begin doubting some of the decisions. You begin wondering if in fact, you were better off 'averaging' throughout you life, and stumbling on some good luck, low-paying, low-level job in some god-forsaken part of the city/town. Mpph.
I once sold french fries by the road-side. That was fun. No demands, except I made a profit of fifty-cents. My mother was wonderful. She would give me new money to get more stock. Bless her.
So why do we go through this shitty life just to get a title? There's a question Shakespeare should have asked. Mina, am tired, but all journeys must end at a point. Hope mine does soonest, or else...
SLS Kenya
16 hours ago
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3 comments:
Ah, I am not going to even pretend to have the answer to these hard questions. Perhaps, because you like to self-flagelate. Perhaps because when you almost miss a flight you can pant and mimble how crazy work was and how you could not get away. Maybe the check in people will call the gate, say, hold on, there is one more passenger coming through. Because with the miniscule paycheque we get from being academics, that's one of the few benefits to that title -- being mistaken for a different kind of Dr and being allowed to board that flight.
Seriously, though, it's a lot of fun geting the Dr, so enjoy it because Goddess knows you killed off a few brain cells writing that thesis. On the upside, you don't need them anymore. Now you can write what you like ... for real... I think. A friend, PhD promises she'll take to writing scandalous novels under a pseudonym now to make money on the side ... we'll see.
Very heartening! Thanks Pumla. You r quite right about the freedom to write what you like. I am quite keen too. Because, all thru the masters and the phd, you have somebody consantly telling you how to write, what to write, the works. Suddenly, you find no one cares any more. And you feel a bit guilty for running with ideas, but it sure feels great!!!
I have heard about the one at the airport, the way all doctors regardless are given special treatment. That I must explore.
The other day, I was reading some pop magazine in which African writers were being encouraged to publish African romance, to be published in the Mills and Boon series. Too bad the deadline passed! Imagine the joy of writing trashy romance...
Thanks though. I shall embrace my new title fully, come graduation.
Dino, were you not doing it for pursuing the truth? I thought you wanted to impress the world with new evidence how we can understand ourselves better and the things around us...I am glad you enjoy the blog writing too!
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