Wednesday, January 16, 2008

What To Do? What To Do?

There is a story on CNN today about a guy who has been a barber for 84 years. I can't fathom doing a job that long.

I can't even decide what to do about my current job predicament. On the one hand, I like the lifestyle being a Foreign Service Officer allows. I love getting to travel to far more places than I would in any other career, some of them places I would no doubt never go otherwise. And I am proud of my service to my country. Incidents like yesterday's attack on a U.S. Embassy vehicle in Beirut yesterday make me more, not less, likely to stay.

But I couldn't see myself doing this for 84 years, even if it was allowed (with manditory retirement at 65, I could do it only for a maximum of 28 1/2 years) or humanly possible (I'd be 120). Archaeology? I could certainly imagine doing it longer than I could imagine doing this. But maybe I can do it after my career here. It certainly makes more fiscal sense to do that. Retire and then dig and teach. If I am physically able to dig when I retire (which will most likely be closer to 56 instead of 65).

Sigh. What to do?

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