Of course it would be ridiculous to buy a pair of pants just because they happen to match some particularly wacky socks, but I'm the one who once sewed an entire wool skirt suit and silk blouse to match a set of antique buttons I'd found at a yard sale.
And I didn't buy my lovely new moss-green corduroys just to match the Meerkats in Love socks my son brought home from South Africa, but when I saw these green cords on the half-price rack at Macy's I immediately thought, Meerkats. And then I saw a lovely soft v-necked sweater in the same color and now here I am ensconced in warm moss green from head to toe, except for the orange stripes on my Meerkats in Love socks. No one ever sees the orange stripes, but I know they're there and that's all that matters.
I was at Macy's as part of a two-day junket to Columbus, Ohio, the ostensible purpose of which was to buy a new winter coat. I didn't buy a coat (because I prefer not to look like the Michelin Man if at all possible) but I bought some other things and also visited two friends who always make me smile, plus a herd of bison. The bison were standing around placidly at Battelle Darby Creek Metropark, where the peace and quiet were balm for my soul. Why are bison more soothing to watch than cows? I barely notice the cows in the pastures along my commute but the sight of a few bison standing in a restored prairie fills me with peace.
The friends I visited were more talkative than the bison, reminding me that the issues that irk me aren't confined to my campus. I'm not the only one whose life's work is being rendered irrelevant by AI, nor am I the only one struggling to find a reliable foothold in our current cultural moment. Friends who can help me laugh in the midst of all the horror are a priceless gift.
And getting away from campus for a couple of days was a gift as well. No one gave me the time off; I just took advantage of a Thursday with no meetings and a Friday when I didn't need to be in class because my students were otherwise occupied. Call it a mental health break. I've been working like a maniac to complete important campus projects (with no thanks from those whose bacon I'm saving) and I had to get away, to fill my eyes and mind and heart with something other than trouble.
Today I'm back at work on campus, rejoining the mad race toward the end of the semester, but I feel more equipped to keep moving toward the finish line in my new green cords and meerkat socks and a mind refreshed by my time away--and a new career plan. If the whole academic thing doesn't work out, I'll remake myself as a professional appreciator of bison. Do you reckon there's any money in it?
Gotta love Meerkats in Love
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