Reason Number 2

I spent yesterday with Wayfarer and Sooza and their daughters. Sooza's parents live in my general area (read: the same area code), so they pack up the girls for Thanksgiving and Christmas and head up this way. On the third Wednesday of November, we meet at a commuter train station to take the train into the city. It's a lovely tradition we have of going somewhere -a museum, an aquarium, whatever - on the day before Thanksgiving. We also have a tradition of gathering at our place for breakfast on Boxing Day, but that's another post.

Anyway, we were on the train yesterday morning when Sooza said to me "OH! I wanted to tell you why you shouldn't get your Ph.D.!" Why I shouldn't? Really? Okay...

Her contention (and she's 100% right, I just know it) is that having my Ph.D. will close more doors than it opens. With a Ph.D., I'm put into a salary bracket that most schools (not all, certainly, but most) won't be prepared to pay, particularly if I'm looking at high schools or junior or community colleges.

I'm not sure that I do want to work in high school - the jury is still out on that - but I am pretty sure that I don't want to deal with the tenure-track professor crap. I kind of like working at TCC (and I'm putting my resume out to other smaller colleges in my area for the coming term), and my MA serves me just fine in that capacity.

I feel, though, like I'm not done learning yet. I may seek another Master's degree at some point in the not-too-distant future, but the idea of a Ph.D. is seeming less and less appealing.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!