It's been a very busy couple of months in my life, what with conferences, trips to the webs coast, new people, social media dust ups, black eyes, and quitting my job... you know, the usual. Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily events that we don't really get to do all those things we intend to get around to. This time, however, I have some news that really should make the rounds, if only to put the musings to rest.
Let's make the announcement now, shall we?
Today is Veterans Day here in the United States, where we pause and thank our veterans and current military personnel for their service to their country. We all know someone who has served our country. I'm married to one. I met my husband while I was a freshman at UT Austin and he was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, in basic training. He then went on to serve in South Korea, where he spent time on the DMZ at the ripe old age of 20. He enlisted in part to take advantage of the G.I. Bill, but also because he believed it was the right thing to do. I honestly cannot fathom feeling called to serve my country, to protect the freedoms we take for granted every day. I do, however, know what life is like without those freedoms. I've lived overseas. Not just any country, mind you,
where some things might be a bit unfamiliar. I lived in Saudi Arabia, the veritable antithesis of American life.
This post is written specifically to you, my social network. This week, I've done something crazy.
I quit my job.
I hear the shrieks now. "What??!?! Are you nuts?" "Don't you know the economy has taken a nose dive??" "We just saw you at a national conference! Why didn't you say anything then?" Believe me, I doubt you're saying anything to me that I haven't already said to myself. But I think being at High Ed Web only highlighted that, in Milwaukee, I was surrounded by people from across this hemisphere who love what they do and put up with a lot in order to do it. You tend to see that kind of drive and motivation within social media and higher ed. It's one of the many things that trips my trigger. In my case, however, the technologies I use, the events I engage with because I love being part of them were not things I was doing for my specific job at Penn State. They were things I was doing for me. The last four conferences I've been at? Not funded by my department. That's right, folks. Over $2000 in hard earned currency for two national conferences, because I felt that strongly about presenting and connecting with others in this field. I've also had to take vacation time in order to pursue the kind of
professional development I've felt was necessary and relevant to my
interests. Thank goodness for friends who felt it was important I was in the mix as well, because they let me room with them to make this happen. Those are good people, folks. I don't take that lightly.
I can hear you, you know. You're sitting there, shaking your head, asking "Why?"
