Not Ready for Less-Than-Primetime!

As things worked out, I had a month's vacation coming to me for the fiscal year just past, so I am using it this month. Thus, I am between jobs, but will collect one more paycheck for my unused vacation. So, it's the longest stretch ever of getting up in the morning and not going to work that I have ever known. People have asked me, probably because of my increasingly white hair, if I will retire at some point. My response is the same as it has always been: I have no role-models for retirement in my family. My father and grandfather both worked up until the days they died. Besides, I like going to work everyday, and always have. Don't get me wrong, I do like time off, when I can get it. One reason I have so much vacation time left from my work at Lafayette is because I cannot take time off when students are on campus. Since we all get off for Christmas and Thanksgiving, etc, I don't use up vacation time there. But I like what I do, and even though it can be very difficult at times, as it was during All College Day this year, the rewards outweigh the deficits. I love talking to students about their ideas about faith, and God and life, in general. I get caught up in faculty discussions about life and meaning and what it means to be educated. I served as a parish pastor for just over seven years, and I still treasure the people we met in those churches dearly. But I would not trade the ride I have had since then for anything. And I get to do it all again, and at a brand new place, where my skills as a preacher and designer of worship will be appreciated so much. Yes, Connie and I are sick of packing and moving, and cannot believe we are doing this yet again. On the other hand, we have found a wonderful new home, and cannot wait to move in and make it ours. Our children are both happy and successful and very good people, who had great college educations and experiences that we could share, because we have both been involved in the academic world for almost all of their lives. So, NO, I am nowhere near ready to retire, and I look forward to making friends in our new community at Bucknell University, while giving thanks for the great friends we have made at Lafayette, and Allegheny, and Ferrum and Delaware. The journey continues, and I hope you will come along for the ride.