Saturday, February 08, 2014

unfinished business

It's been hanging over me, this office clean out. I retired a month ago and I have yet to hand over the keys to my office. (On the upside, I am now officially an emerita which provides for a life long engagement with the university should I want it.)

I don't just want to cart things home if I'm not to ever use them again. Files of papers -- who needs them? Years of course evaluations -- what kind of person sits in her old age and revels in moments of past glory? Text books --  quickly dated. Reprints of old articles, even my old articles -- yawn. And the list continues.

If I had complete confidence that nothing, nothing would ever put me in the classroom again, the job would be easy: one box of mementos, a half dozen favorite books and I'm out of there. But who has such certainty? Someone who has utter confidence in the future. That's not me. 

I do know one thing: I want to finish the job of emptying my office in the quiet of a week-end, when I'm likely to be alone. No one in the halls, no one to distract me.

So after breakfast...


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...despite the fact that it's starting to snow again...


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... and, too, it's cold, I drive to my office and tell myself: this is it: the final sort and purge. Ed has volunteered to come and cart out anything that I take when I'm done (my tail bone makes lifting a bit of a chore). I set to it.

And it doesn't take long. Two hours maybe and I call home: I'm done!

I would say that this is my last look out my office, but it's not. I still have office hours this coming week! But then -- that's it. And, unless something pushes me off course, today surely is my last look inside a classroom.
Hey, this is the one where I had my last class -- I tell Ed. Take a picture!


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At home, I have, as predicted, four boxes of books and papers to unpack. At some later date. There's no rush now. Done, I'm done. Exhale. Smile.

4 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Nina!

    Don't worry about those boxes. I unpacked my office in May, and the six boxes I decided to save have sat, untouched, in the garage since then.

    PS: I also fell once on that garage's floor, and I broke my tail bone. That heals quickly, too.

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  2. I have a home office that needs my attention too, and I have Hilary Mantel's book...what an easy choice.
    Irene is right about those boxes, they're not going anywhere. My Great-Grandma had a funny saying: "If it don't eat bread, leave it lay."

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  3. Two of my favorite scenes: your breakfast table with the chickens and the red shed in the snow. But the one of you bundled and standing at the lectern is outstanding. Congratulations!

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