I woke up at a brutal 5AM yesterday, gave myself a shot or two, raced through a shower, downed a cup of coffee, and walked out of my little condo in the sky at 5:45AM, still arguing with a pair of maryjanes that wouldn’t buckle, dammit. And then I ran back in because I forgot to feed the cats, OMG.
I ventured into the cold, dark streets of Edgewater an hour before the butt crack of dawn (I love that phrase) because…. are you ready for this? Grad school started yesterday, and my work is nice enough to give me an altered schedule so that I can get to a 4PM class. I spent the entire day fretting over said class, and I admit I actually considered blowing it off. Not going. Taking the train home instead of to the west side. And then drinking an entire bottle of wine while watching bad tv.
But I didn’t do that. I put on my Courage Panties (yes, I have some of those, and no, I’m not facebooking the color for infertility or any other kind of panty awareness) and I put on my crazy socks for kicks and went to class. Nervous and the opposite of confident and scared and wondering just how the hell am I going to pay for this, I went to class.
It wasn’t so bad. Sorta.
But that’s not the point of this post.
The point is that in class #1, my prof asked the following questions:
As an educator, how would you like to be remembered when you retire?
Write a statement or words of wisdom that reflect your philosophy of life.
Ummmm…
Have I mentioned that I work in a law firm? And that I’m in marketing/research? Which means that I fall into the category of “non-lawyer?” And that people actually use that word to describe me, “non-lawyer?” Which basically means that I’m a grunt, a nobody, a peon. Noone cares what my philosophy of life is, or how I’d like to be remembered when I retire. In fact, most people can barely remember me five minutes after I say hello to them in the hallway.
Which is the long way of saying that I haven’t been asked questions like that in a long time. Where I spend my obligatory 8 hours, people are concerned with getting their ToDos done and making money for The Man and themselves. They aren’t interested in no stinkin philosowhatever.
Which is an even longer way of saying that wow, I’m so glad I went to class. Because even if I had no freaking clue how to answer the questions, I was at least in a place where that kinda stuff matters, you know?
And I’d like it to matter here, too, over here in THIS, my little niche of the big wide intarnets. So, Internet, make like it was last week and delurk. Leave a comment and tell me: How would you like to be remembered when you retire? And what’s your philosophy of life?
And for the record:
My philosophy of life is to live life well.
And I’d like to be remembered as (and I quote, because we had to write it down): An enthusiastic motivator, tireless advocate, lifelong learner, challenging educator and a good human. (Which, when boiled down, would be: She cared.)
Writing that down was embarrassing. Clearly, I’ve been working in the for-profit sector entirely too long.
Well, I don’t really have a philosophowhatever, but I do like live life well, LOVE, and she cared. When I undertake my lawyerly career I hope to work in legal aid or community sector, helping those who have no access to the legal system. So I would like to think I could do all that and be remembered as caring and that I made a difference.
Anyhow, I thought this was a great post (related on so many levels) and just wanted to let you know. Also a big CONGRATS on making it to grad school.
Hi. I’m a lurker. And like you, I deny my stash, most of the time. Though sometimes I admit I have a stash. Mostly when it suits my needs.
“She cared and lived well”…sounds like the sentiments I’d like said about me after I’m gone as well.
I love classes and seminars and books that make you really think about the things that matter, whether it be what matters to you personally or what matters to the human race as a whole. Love it. Sounds like your class will be a good thing for you.
Not a lurker, but saying HI for the heck of it! LOL
As an educator (cuz I really *am* an educator w/2 Ed. grad degrees whose written so many ‘personal philosophy papers that it all sounds like hokey BS when I say stuff like this now), I’d like to be remembered as an educator who stayed young, in touch, and could still relate to the teachers and students still in the trenches (because I totally have visions of moving up and out of the classroom and into a higher curriculum-related position eventually). And of course that life-long learner stuff, too.
(and I’ve always liked the word ‘peon.’ because the grunts essentially get just that – peed on.)
As an educator, I would like to be remembered as someone who MADE A DIFFERENCE, at least in the lives of SOME of my students. I would love to have students come back to me years after I taught them and say: “Hey, madame? You were right, French IS important! And boy, am I glad I paid attention and participated in your class!”
My philosophy in life? Well, it’s actually a moto, my high-school motto to be exact: Carpe Diem. Here’s the long-version:
Happy the man, and happy he alone,
he who can call today his own:
he who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.
Be fair or foul, or rain or shine
the joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine.
Not Heaven itself, upon the past has power,
but what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.
- Horace
My philosophy of life is to be an all-weather friend. Because it’s too easy to be around for the good stuff.
lol! I sympathize! I worked for Skad.denArps for six months a grunt working 80 hours a week until I said “I never want to be a lawyer” and skeddadled back to grad school to be a teacher!