You know, even when I’ve…

You know, even when I've slept poorly and I'm feeling like dung warmed over and I really just want to stay in bed with the covers over my head, once I've dealt with showering and dressing and commuting and walking to my class, once I'm actually in the classroom, it's like a switch just flips on, and I'm so happy to be there, talking to these guys. I'm buzzed, and an hour and a half later, I walk out of the room, still buzzing.

I continue to be astonished by how much I love lecturing. (I like most aspects of teaching, and a good session in office hours can also be a joy, but it's lecturing that I consistently enjoy the most. It's the performative aspect, I think.) When I was twenty, I had no idea I would love my job this much.

Sometimes I think, my god -- there must be so many people doing the wrong job out there. By which I mean they picked a job because it paid well, or because they liked the subject area, or because it's what was available nearby. And they just have no idea that there are all these other jobs that are so much better suited to their talents, their personalities. If everyone got a great career counsellor in high school, how much happier we all would be!