I was reading through old emails this weekend, which is creepy and makes me feel weird. I don't like seeing all those intimate notes from people I'm no longer in contact with. However, there's also a lot of fascinating information in the email remnants of my past life. AND reading the messages I sent to other people confirms that my current phase is one that I enter every blessed year. Namely, each spring I consider quitting my job (or schooling) to do one of the following:
a) Join the Peace Corps
b) Buy a mobile home and be a professional Dar Williams groupie
c) Buy a mobile home and start a Pie Mobile
d) Become a dilettante
e) Become a recluse in the English Lake District
f) Become the mistress of Pemberley (I'd forgotten about this one, until I found this email to my roommate Emily one summer:
Have I mentioned that I don't want to be mild-mannered MBC, the library science student; I want to be the mistress of Pemberley? If not, I do. If so, it is still the case.
g) Become a migrant worker (I'd also forgotten about this one, but I mentioned it frequently in college. From an email to Kenneth:
I think I should just forget about graduate school and become a migrant worker. I'm an excellent strawberry picker and I'm also becoming excellent at not fixing my hair.)
So far I've never actually acted on these impulses. Probably because I'm scared to drive a mobile home. One of these days, though, I'm gonna live the dream.
6 comments:
At least your impulses are within the realms of possibility. My considerations were either piracy and or highway robbery. However now that I am going to marry a man of fortune (well not really, but a man who makes any money is a man of fortune compared to my graduate stipend) perhpas I can be a woman of independent means. It isn't Pemberley but....we can't all be Elizabeth Bennet.
You still have emails from Kenneth?? How funny... you a migrant worker. I would join you if you ever decided to really be a Dar groupie though!!
The world does need a pie mobile. I personally need someone to drive to my house and offer me pies.
I am glad that I am not the only person who yearly (or monthly) thinks of getting a new life. One of these days...
I was cleaning yesterday, which results in large piles of paper migrating to the recycle bin when I came across a folder of old printed out emails. Fairly funny, but also sad because I've happily forgotten some of the misery contained therein.
I think mine go like "I'm quitting my job to be paid fabulous amounts of money to eat and travel" it hasn't happened. Yet. I already was a migrant worker. No need to do that again.
Lady Susan--Yeah, if I had a financial backer, I would be all set.
Annie--I have a very complete email record of my college years, including hundreds of emails to and from you chronicling your romantic history.
Eliana--As soon as the pie mobile is up and running, I'll add your house to the route.
Chou--If you ever figure out that gig, let me know, and I'll join you.
Oh my gosh... I am actually kind of mortified that you still have some of those emails. I can only imagine what I wrote. Actually I can probably guess what I wrote thus the mortification.
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