Seasons of Love

“Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes. Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear. Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes. How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, In midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, In laughter, in strife. In five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year in the life?”

-Rent

Being a native New Yawker, I thoroughly enjoy Broadway and lighter musical theater fare. This includes Bollywood love stories that involve dancing in the rain and films such as The Sound of Music and Shrek. Ever since I left the straightforward legal career path to go into journalism, the intricacies of audio-visual media effects have fascinated me. I think fashion, film, social media, and photography enliven words.

For my milestone fortieth birthday, my little sister Theresa gifted me a certificate to the Denver Performing Arts Center. I was able to book individual tickets to four shows: Mamma Mia, Some Like It Hot, The Happiest Man on Earth, and Moulin Rouge.

I also obtained a one-year unlimited movie Regal Cinemas pass, which is a total bargain if you see at least two films in theaters per month. So far, I’ve viewed Materialists, Wicked, A Complete Unknown, Mission: Impossible, and The Phoenician Scheme at the Denver Pavilions on 15^th Street.

Ever since I submitted my dissertation to the Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduate office, I have had a ton of free time on my hands. I’ve been going on group runs with Revolution Running, going out to alumni association events with my five alma maters, meeting up with friends in Boulder and Denver, attending therapy sessions, and participating in church activities such as Bible studies and small groups. I am trying to nurture intellectual passions that are both creative and satisfying.

I am hoping against hope that doing interesting things will somehow lead to employability in a rewarding career as either a well-rounded lawyer or as a tenure-track professor. Or possibly some combination thereof.

Sometimes I feel like the fish in Finding Nemo swimming upstream and getting lost in the current. When I was a PhD student and then candidate, I had a sense of purpose and drive while trying to clear academic hurdles and finish my degree. Now that I’ve finished, it’s in my nature to strive for the next goal. But is this the “season” of career or is it the season of self-love?