Years of My Life

A Journey from 1944 to … Now

1981-82 School Year

 Kent State University; Learned Owl Bookshop

This year I learned the subtle joys

Of doing full-time part-time work.

I realized I’d been a jerk—

Just quitting?—oh, a lack of poise.

And so I had a couple jobs:

I taught some frosh at KSU—

And worked some in a bookstore, too.

(That sound you hear? Self-serving sobs!)

But somehow we survived—scraped by

On what we managed to bring in—

Oh, nothing like it once had been!

But hopes remained—though not so high.

But then—a break!—back in the flow!

A teaching job! A job for me!

I signed the contract (gratefully)—

Back to Aurora I would go!*

*The vote of the school board for me to return was 3–2. Hmmm …