Resignation

by Christy Effinger

The earth science professor just resigned. Each summer he travels alone into the wilderness to count bugs, read rocks, chart stars. This summer he got lost in Nepal and found himself in Tibet. Somewhere deep in the mountains he had an epiphany and sent his resignation e-mail from a Buddhist monastery. At our fall faculty meeting we joke about his self-discovery; we shake our heads over his reckless courage; we wonder aloud what kind of impulsive fool would throw away a safe job with dental insurance and a government pension. What we don’t say is how much we envy him.

6S

Christy Effinger teaches college English in Indianapolis. Her website is here.