A personal musing

Whatever else you do in your life, surround yourself with people who will encourage you to be a better professional, and more importantly a better person. I've tried to do so, although not always successfully. If nothing else, I can say that in my role as an educator, I have managed to do so. Right now I am fortunate to work for and with some of the most amazing people that I have ever had the privilege of knowing. That' much of the reason why I am still where I am, rather than constantly scanning the ads for faculty positions. Oh, and the community has welcomed me and my family with open arms from day one. This is home to me, for all intents and purposes. As I have noted before, if you realize you have a good thing, appreciate what you have. In my case, it took a combination of a lot of timely and positive feedback from students and alums (and on-campus colleagues) and the realization that one of my collaborative relationships was truly toxic to drive that particular point home for me. Thankfully, I am surrounded by people who truly matter. I will never be highly cited nor will I be particularly well-known, but honestly that is not something I want. Nurturing future researchers, inciting some critical thinking, and preparing the next generation to join the workforce, and enjoying the truly beautiful friendships and family that I have been fortunate to cultuivate are truly enough. The rest means nothing.