Dear Ray,
I meant to send you the small book and the NatGeo with the bird article by Jonathan Franzen months and months ago. But the fever got lost in other comings and goings.The stuff sat on the dining room table, got pushed to the side, and there it stood. I’d come across them from time to time and say to myself, “Man, I have to do this.” So much time has passed now that there’s a new book of poems (Titans), which arrived this week and will have its formal release party on Jan. 20.
Around here, things have become interesting. As you know, when Nick came to us, he needed pretty much needed full-time attention at home. Most of his out-of-the-home care came in the form of school. We had him at first a half day at a school district child-development center before kindergarten, both of which were half day. Then, he needed us to be available for the first couple of years of grade school, as he was having problems staying focused.
I was in school and then worked with the Ironworkers Union. These jobs allowed me to be home when he was out of school. Over the years, I’ve worked part-time contingent and was always around to do stuff with him.
Well, Nick is almost a grown up now. He no longer needs us the way he once did. My part-time position, once so useful to us, has become a source of disturbance for me. I work hard but its part-time. I’ve gotten a lot of writing done. But I watch Virginia working her ass off and feel more guilty about it all the time.
So, I’ve begun looking for work. You probably know the market for historians is spare. You have a chance if you have good pedigree, which I do not. Even positions at community colleges, strong second-tier and top-tier people inhabit those roles. I keep my fingers in it but have a jaded view of the possibilities of academia for me.
In that spirit, I have been seeking jobs where a Ph.D. matters. There’s plenty of work at the $12-$20 jobs. Sales jobs are all over the place. I’m not a salesman and I’m making $35,000 sitting on my ass. Do I want to go to work full time for $40,000? Thus, I’m pretty picky and am waiting for just the right job.
About two and a half months ago, I applied for a number of jobs online. After a few rejections, I’d forgotten all about it until last Tuesday (Dec.4) when I was working with an art photographer taking pictures while having a good conversation in his studio. (I get a portrait out of the deal, and this guy works miracles.) I received a call from someone who wanted to know if I was still interested in the trainer job and wanted to set up a phone interview for Monday (Dec. 10). I said sure and asked again who she was with. Again, I swore she said KCUR.
I scratched my head. I had no recollection of applying with the NPR affiliate and wondered what they might need with a trainer. I even went through my E-mails and job applications on indeed.com. Nothing.
Finally, on Thursday, I called the number of the woman who called me. She answered and said again, KCUR. I asked, “Someone called me from this number about setting up a phone interview, was this you?” Yes, she said, her name was Danielle. I asked if she could send me the job description in an E-mail. I’d lost it and could find it. She said, no problem. She’d send it with the confirmation E-mail for the phone interview.
The E-mail showed up on Friday. She was with Kansas City Water, not KCUR! Mental ossification? Hearing problems? I vaguely remembered applying for an instructional specialist job with the city’s water and sewer utility. The job description aligned perfectly with what I do every day—created and design courses, put together all the instructional material, track student metrics, etc.
I had that phone interview With Kansas City Water yesterday. I don’t really know how to judge such things. I answered all their questions and offered what I thought was good information. They wanted to know about instructional design, which is basically what I do, as well as my teaching philosophy—which is ridiculously simple and maybe not so impressive—and method. The whole thing lasted less than 20 minutes.
Kansas City Water, which is a semi-independent arm of city government, is looking to form an instructional unit for the department so they will no longer have to rely on the city’s training-and-development staff. This new unit would be just three people doing things like professional development,executive training, health and safety updates, certifications, and so on. It would be an 8-to-5 job, and my record with such positions is spotty at best (six months, after which, I sit at a desk for another year and a half rotting). But working in multiple locations with different subjects all the time intrigues me and will likely keep my attention better than a desk job. I ended the call telling them that I was looking at the job description and what it required were things I do every day.
It would be nice to get a good-paying position year doing what I do and am so good at. We need the retirement funds. Kid is off to college here in a year and a half or so. We need new carpet. The roof will have to be done in a year or two. The furnace is now 14 years old and we’ll have to replace it here in a couple of years. Steady money, at least for the time being, wouldn’t be a bad thing. We’ll see. I don’t know how to judge these things and my last job interview was in 2000 at the book publisher. I answered their questions and offered what I thought was the right information.
If I get called back for a personal interview, and I really hope they call, I’m almost sure to get the job, which I’m excited about. I came home yesterday from school and looked at my resume and CV and considered the job description again. They are both impressive. That interview should be about whether the personalities and methods fit together, not about whether I can do the job or not.
I’ve decided that after this note, I’m going to forget about the whole thing until I hear an affirmation or rejections. Meanwhile, I’ll carry on.
I’ll have to strike a little different discipline with the writing. Instead of my 1,000 words a day, I might have to make it a deal where I come home, close my eyes for a while, and take two hours every night for the writing. It will be interesting. Another writer friend of mine believes I will write more books with the structure of a job. I certainly hope that’s true.
So, thanks for sticking with me this long. Another logorrhea incident. We hope you and Lydia are well and hope that your holidays are what you dream them to be. Around here, things will be quiet and homey. Dinner with Uncle Charles and his partner Betsy. Other than that, it’ll be a lot of taking walks, Nick and I on the bikes, laying around, reading.
Yours sincerely,
Patrick
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