I suppose this hasn’t been the best week. I’ve had two strange or negative conversations and a rejection of one of the 3 papers I was not worried about (not the 4th that I was trying to publish in a general science (general audience) magazine. It definitely took me aback, and I was shocked. It was the strongest of the three. But looking honestly at the two associate editors who reviewed it for the main editor, the comments seem to be that it was unacceptable in its current form. They wanted things like a change of title, introduction, and focus. They want it shortened by 50% and no details on well-known things. Both suggested it should be rewritten and resubmitted. Though out of the 4 advances it offered, one reviewer liked them and said I’ve made significant contributions. Another thought some were ok but others bunk. So it’s unclear how I should approach the changes.
Today (Thursday), Nature magazine rejected my application for the Nature Postdoc Journal contest. If I had won, I would be writing a journal of postdoc life, one 250 word entry per month (so 12 articles for the magazine). It’s pretty cool and super easy. Surprised I didn’t get it.
Then I had a strange conversation with a man in whose house I had been sleeping (to avoid driving home late at night, driving back and forth a distance, sleep apnea issues, etc.) felt that he was being taken advantage of and wanted me to pay for staying, approximately 3% of my monthly salary per day. Well, over a month, that’s my monthly salary. Strange conversation it was. I don’t like or enjoy staying at his house for any amount of time now.
And another conversation. I think it was Shane Claiborne who said, in community, they hasn’t figured out how to stop hurting each other. I haven’t not discovered this either. I have some who are continually hurt which makes relations hard. Some friends (I still count them as friends) I spend the entire relationship amending, atoning, recompensing, fixing, apologizing. I’ve had one that I would classify as emotional abuse (after doing a play on domestic violence and abuse of all types). Others, I spend the entire time fully enjoying. Those I like. So it’s hard to go through these. But that is life. Most find me pig-headed. I’m a bit of – no a definite Monet, I believe. I look nice from afar, but up close, you don’t know what you’re looking at. That term is from Clueless. With all the low points it would be “nice” to be down, but I haven’t time. I have to walk a mile in the other person’s shoes to understand where they come from. And I have to be more determined in my work (right now have a daily goal of some sort of work I do plus two daily job apps for the next year). So we shall see.
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