So, I was looking through my records and saw that since I first started working (too long ago to mention), about every 6.75 years (on average) I have taken a year or so off to do something besides work a job - go to school, travel, consult, or just be un- or under-employed. You can see the pattern of dips in my Social Security record of income, in fact.
That pattern held steady until I finished grad school in 2003, and for the 19 years working in higher education since then I haven't taken one of these unofficial sabbaticals, but merely moved from one increasingly responsible position to another. (My accidental tenure is whole other story.) Well, that long dry spell is over. I have, for Reasons, left my position at Bellingham Technical College and will be swept along in the wave that is being called the Great Resignation.
Being Interim President was great fun for a few minutes, but taking on that responsibility in the middle of a pandemic and steering a course through several major challenges has certainly been a burden, and laying it down does bring a great sense of relief and a lightening of my load. This decision will also allow me to focus more on some personal issues, a few of which of require immediate attention and others of which will result in some significant transitions down the road. I am considering this a semi-retirement; it's just a little bit ahead of the schedule that has been in my countdown timer for a few years (which might actually play in my favor) but I am open to exploring some low-key possibilities down the road.
In any case, I will be continuing my art cartooning practice, taking care of the house, supporting my hardworking grad student wife, and generally trying to remain a productive member of society and not lapse into total indolence. I have alway held that work was cutting too much into my free time; let's see what good use I can put it to.
I'll leave you with my final piece form 2D Composition and Design as it seems fitting.
