I am Now on Vacation

I have actually been on somewhat of a vacation for months. But never thought of it that way because I was preparing for exams, writing exams, and pondering what the heck I will do next. I cannot imagine not working. I think I am blessed with a career I love. For that reason, there is no reason I can think of to retire.  Many people I have worked with scratch their heads and think I am nutty.

I had a goal. To teach at the university where I do research. Nothing seemed to come to me, so I decided to consider other offers that keep pounding on my door. Just as I had resigned to the fact that this was the route I had to take - my university offered me the job I wanted. Of course I accepted. Of course I am elated.  So, that is the reason I am now on vacation. I do not start for 2 weeks - just enough time to have a vacation.

This all brings to mind a poem I used to write a paper for my philosophy course.  I was to wrote about one philosopher of education that I admired and to explain his vision of what an ideal educational system would look like.  I chose Rabindranath Tagore.  The poem he wrote went like this.

I slept and dreamt that life was joy

I woke and saw that life was service

I acted and behold

Service was joy

-Rabindranth Tagore

As  I have been given the gift of working exactly where I wanted, doing exactly what I wanted, I can clearly see the meaning of this poem.  Why would I quit working when I can feed my soul and be able to give to others at the same time?

I seems to me that many great sages are from India. Everyone knows Mahatma Gandhi.  He has also made me realize that I have a gift and that gift does not stay with me. I offer it to others so that they will be ready to do the same at some point.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

- Mahatma Gandhi