Just a stray thought re Thursday night’s post on nostalgia that’s probably better kept to myself.

When you interview for a job, most people put their best foot forward, or try to anyway. When I interviewed for my current job in 2017, I know I did. But the one thing that continues to strike me is the volume of everything there is to do. How can you get to the projects/goals/ideas you’d mentioned on interview day when you’re using 40+hrs a week to keep things moving?

This is obviously (I hope) not meant as a criticism of my employer. I have a great boss/mentor and excellent coworkers. But I don’t know if there’s anything they could’ve said to prepare me for the past ~1.75 years.

The best thing you can do is keep moving forward: schau nach vorne.

As we enter the last week of the semester and let things wind down for a few weeks until the new year:

„Laßt uns gehen mit frischem Mute in das neue Jahr hinein! Alt soll unsere Lieb und Treue, neu soll unsere Hoffnung sein!“

The song doesn’t translate clearly but basically:

“Let’s enter the new year with fresh courage and pure hearts! Our love and loyalty should be old but refreshed with new hope!”

Every day this year yet to be, every day next year is a day full of the potential to make a meaningful difference.

If I’d said that in my interview, I don’t know what my search committee would’ve thought, but it’s maybe the truest thing I could’ve said.

Happy last week of the semester to one and all. auf gehts!