Change

I learned two days ago that my job description will probably change in the next couple months. There are no words to explain my relief!
In the current job I direct a teaching clinic, teach, supervise, and act as liaison with community agencies that train our students, write the yearly academic report, and try to write articles on the side. ("What side?" you rightly ask...)

I knew something was wrong Friday when I came home from work, walked in the house past Sam and said menacingly, "Don't talk to me, don't touch me, leave me alone, don't follow me. I'm in a foul mood and can't even talk. I'm so angry I could explode." I've never said that before to anyone and it was alarming. I'd spent the entire day working on an article for publication. I finally got it revised (for the third time!) and sent off to the editor for a final review. In the process of working on that article I couldn't get to the clinical things or deal with the crises in the clinic that arose. It was truly more than I could keep up with.

My chairperson called me at home that afternoon to ask me a simple question about something and I started blowing smoke at her. "This job is structured in such a way as to be impossible. It's too much for one person--maybe even two. I've found so many messes to clean up since I've taken over for the last person--isn't anyone keeping track of these kinds of things, or were you saving them up for me?" I recalled saying that about another place I'd worked. Maybe it was just me. Maybe I'd also been hired into places with the expectation of saving the day. That was told me in clear terms when I arrived here. So I gave my chair an earful.
Then I learned that she wanted me to transition to full-time teaching and get out of the clinic. Nothing could make me happier. Then I can teach clinical courses in the clinic but not be responsible for the operation of it. Even better.

There are times when life goes in funny directions. I'm thinking that the direction I'll be moving toward will be an excellent one. More to come on that.