Life was simpler when I just had to choose between chocolate or regular milk at lunchtime
I am currently in a Rather Large Tiff with my parents (re: mostly my mother) over something Utterly Ridiculous, with no foreseeable end insight. And I need impartial views to decide what to do … by Monday.
See, this all started when I, on my own ambition, discussed with a certain Professor we’ll name Prof. X G the possibility to completing a joint Archaeology-History department Honors project. After all, I’ve spent the last two years digging in dirt over at Ames Plantation, and plan to spend the next two years digging in dirt over at Ames Plantation, so I figured I might as well get some actual academic use out of the damned thing. And the ensuing mess just goes to show the world that I should not possess ambition, or that I should at least keep my mouth shut about it.
Prof. G was ENTHRALLED over the idea, because it was something no one else had ever thought of doing before. She talked to a rather friendly, red haired bloke named Prof. M, who was equally enthralled with the idea… and who promptly threw me into a great big pot of boiling oil.
See, Prof. M was SO excited with the possibility that he suggested I was the perfect candidate for his summer-based Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies. Here, let me restate this: the Director of the Program personally invited me to partake in his Pet Project.
Aw BUGGER, said I.
I imagine it’s a huge honor to be chosen by the director like that. I acknowledge that it’s a huge honor to be chosen by the director like that. I still don’t care. I don’t want to partake.
Thus, we enter the Rather Large Tiff. See, my mother thinks that I should do this, no matter what. She doesn’t quite seem to have a grasp on just what, exactly, I’ll be doing, or just how much time, exactly, I’ll be spending with it. She doesn’t seem to get how miserable I’d be sitting down here. She’s just positive that A) it’ll look great on grad school apps and B) since the director asked me, I’m OBLIGATED to partake.
My dad, as usual for my dad, publicly supports my mother and privately tells me to make the decision myself and to NOT just try and make mother happy. This is not exactly helpful.
Last Monday--after an entire break of pseudo-arguing over this damned thing-- they both told that whatever decision I made had their full support. This Thursday, I told my mother my decision to no partake. Her response was that she did NOT support me, because it was the WRONG decision, and that she only “agreed” on Monday to not mention it after I made said decision.
So what the hell do I do?
I either spend my WHOLE SUMMER here, alone, in a city that I hate, without friends, working on something that I honestly could not care less about seven different ways, in abject misery…
…OR I decide that whatever possible benefits this one thing may bring me are NOT worth said summer in abject misery and go home, where I know people and places and am comfortable getting involved - but receive a lifetime of glares and muttered retorts from my mother in exchange for said happiness.
So, dear wise and impartial LJ company--but especially _standbythesea who did this thing last year*) , what do I do?
tl;dr:
The Situation: I’ve been invited to partake in a summer-long program at Rhodes and must decide to either partake or not.
The Pros:
- It’s not exactly difficult work, barring the social work aspect.
- Theoretically, a good way to flesh out my Honors project
- It DOES pay, though it may only pay 1300 (but I’ve heard from some people that it paid 3000 last year)
- It would probably look good on my applications
-It (helps) make me a shoo-in for archaeological grad schools
The Cons:
- I really hate Memphis
- if I decide to go into Law School, it may very well look absolutely useless
- I’ll basically be in school straight through until I graduate next May
- I won’t get to see my dogs. This also means I won’t get to work on training, I won’t get to go biking, and I won’t get into shape (and then promptly out-of-shape once school starts, but we won’t mention that bit)
- No Renaissance faire and no friends
- I REALLY hate Memphis
- No vacationing (re: seeing sister and nephew, weekend excursions to tiny Missouri towns, etc.)
- My Doctors are in STL. I won’t be. This means putting off various check ups and possible surgeries for yet another year, because I don’t trust anyone here.
- No job at the Kennel and no volunteering at Stray Rescue. I’m not certain if I WANT to work at Memphis humane societies, because I think they’re “three days you’re dead” places, or they‘ve had a lot of bad publicity recently.
Translation:
-A lot of logical reasons to participate
-A lot of emotional, non-logical reasons NOT to.
Seriously, people. WHAT DO I DO.
*BTW, I’m sorry, I’m an idiot, but I forgot to bring that stupid clock with me. I asked my dad to ship it, though, so it’ll be here by Feb 9?
See, this all started when I, on my own ambition, discussed with a certain Professor we’ll name Prof. X G the possibility to completing a joint Archaeology-History department Honors project. After all, I’ve spent the last two years digging in dirt over at Ames Plantation, and plan to spend the next two years digging in dirt over at Ames Plantation, so I figured I might as well get some actual academic use out of the damned thing. And the ensuing mess just goes to show the world that I should not possess ambition, or that I should at least keep my mouth shut about it.
Prof. G was ENTHRALLED over the idea, because it was something no one else had ever thought of doing before. She talked to a rather friendly, red haired bloke named Prof. M, who was equally enthralled with the idea… and who promptly threw me into a great big pot of boiling oil.
See, Prof. M was SO excited with the possibility that he suggested I was the perfect candidate for his summer-based Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies. Here, let me restate this: the Director of the Program personally invited me to partake in his Pet Project.
Aw BUGGER, said I.
I imagine it’s a huge honor to be chosen by the director like that. I acknowledge that it’s a huge honor to be chosen by the director like that. I still don’t care. I don’t want to partake.
Thus, we enter the Rather Large Tiff. See, my mother thinks that I should do this, no matter what. She doesn’t quite seem to have a grasp on just what, exactly, I’ll be doing, or just how much time, exactly, I’ll be spending with it. She doesn’t seem to get how miserable I’d be sitting down here. She’s just positive that A) it’ll look great on grad school apps and B) since the director asked me, I’m OBLIGATED to partake.
My dad, as usual for my dad, publicly supports my mother and privately tells me to make the decision myself and to NOT just try and make mother happy. This is not exactly helpful.
Last Monday--after an entire break of pseudo-arguing over this damned thing-- they both told that whatever decision I made had their full support. This Thursday, I told my mother my decision to no partake. Her response was that she did NOT support me, because it was the WRONG decision, and that she only “agreed” on Monday to not mention it after I made said decision.
So what the hell do I do?
I either spend my WHOLE SUMMER here, alone, in a city that I hate, without friends, working on something that I honestly could not care less about seven different ways, in abject misery…
…OR I decide that whatever possible benefits this one thing may bring me are NOT worth said summer in abject misery and go home, where I know people and places and am comfortable getting involved - but receive a lifetime of glares and muttered retorts from my mother in exchange for said happiness.
So, dear wise and impartial LJ company--but especially _standbythesea who did this thing last year*) , what do I do?
tl;dr:
The Situation: I’ve been invited to partake in a summer-long program at Rhodes and must decide to either partake or not.
The Pros:
- It’s not exactly difficult work, barring the social work aspect.
- Theoretically, a good way to flesh out my Honors project
- It DOES pay, though it may only pay 1300 (but I’ve heard from some people that it paid 3000 last year)
- It would probably look good on my applications
-It (helps) make me a shoo-in for archaeological grad schools
The Cons:
- I really hate Memphis
- if I decide to go into Law School, it may very well look absolutely useless
- I’ll basically be in school straight through until I graduate next May
- I won’t get to see my dogs. This also means I won’t get to work on training, I won’t get to go biking, and I won’t get into shape (and then promptly out-of-shape once school starts, but we won’t mention that bit)
- No Renaissance faire and no friends
- I REALLY hate Memphis
- No vacationing (re: seeing sister and nephew, weekend excursions to tiny Missouri towns, etc.)
- My Doctors are in STL. I won’t be. This means putting off various check ups and possible surgeries for yet another year, because I don’t trust anyone here.
- No job at the Kennel and no volunteering at Stray Rescue. I’m not certain if I WANT to work at Memphis humane societies, because I think they’re “three days you’re dead” places, or they‘ve had a lot of bad publicity recently.
Translation:
-A lot of logical reasons to participate
-A lot of emotional, non-logical reasons NOT to.
Seriously, people. WHAT DO I DO.
*BTW, I’m sorry, I’m an idiot, but I forgot to bring that stupid clock with me. I asked my dad to ship it, though, so it’ll be here by Feb 9?