From the beginning, my standby has been Psalm 37, which starts with

"Fret not yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb" (1-2).

At one time I posted the entire psalm, all 40 verses.  I recommend it.

I also posted other material I wish I could find quickly, by C. S. Lewis ("Learning in Wartime"), by G. K. Chesterton ("The Everlasting Man"), and from the film version of "The Two Towers" (Sam's words about how in the old stories people kept on because they knew the good in the world was worth fighting for).  We've had such threads before, and the verities all still true.

Jameela

That's the problem with drinking, I thought, as I poured myself a drink. If something bad happens you drink in an attempt to forget ; if something good happens you drink in order to celebrate ; and if nothing happens you drink to make something happen. -Charles Bukowski, Women

A Positive Attitude wrote:

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No matter how cynical you become, it is never enough to keep up. Lily Tomlin

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When I took a position at USM, I noticed how cynical the faculty in my Department were and wondered why. At that time, they were in about their 15th year of service to the University. I could never understand quite the reasons for their cynicism. I wondered how one could become so soured over time. I thought certainly this would not happen to me. Well, here I am, at about the same number of years in, having acquired a level of cynicism that, I would assert, rises above theirs multiple fold. I now understand how one can become so very distrusting of anyone in "upper administration." I now understand how one can lose the ability to forgive others for actions; I can now understand how one loses all hope that mankind operates with any sense of integrity; I have certainly lost any hope in this administration a long time ago to engage those who work for them in any human way. The only hope that I do have is that I am still here and am asked to be part of the disinfecting crew charged with wiping down the walls of the Dome after the departure of this crew. I will certainly volunteer to do so and will savor every second of it (and will make periodic checks to be sure that the mold is not returning). Rest assured that many will stand in line to tell these individuals exactly what they think of them at the appropriate time. I relish that moment!

administrator R us wrote:

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The only hope that I do have is that I am still here and am asked to be part of the disinfecting crew charged with wiping down the walls of the Dome after the departure of this crew. I will certainly volunteer to do so and will savor every second of it (and will make periodic checks to be sure that the mold is not returning). Rest assured that many will stand in line to tell these individuals exactly what they think of them at the appropriate time. I relish that moment! ah, a post-SFT wanna be administrator. as cynical as the rest of your post, i wonder why we should not be cynical of your motives. and the final part of your remark--whew, that's going to make a new president's job an interesting, if not impossible, one.

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ARU,

Yes, you are correct, Thames is making the job of the next president that much more difficult. As far as my motives go, question them if that makes you feel better. Frankly I could care less. A post-SFT administrator wanna be????? I think not!!! What's more alarming is that there may be many departments on campus where 12-15 years in marks the senior member. That is pretty scary.

ARU, dearie, I think you're misreading the other person's post. It didn't sound to me like they were offering to be an administrator. Not everyone who posts here is faculty.

Let's stay on topic for this thread please; this is not a discussion thread.

"What we think or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence.  The only thing of consequence is what we do."

    -- John Ruskin

 

"If you're going through hell, keep going."

-Winston Churchill

 

"It's five o'clock somewhere."

Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you glad to see me?

Mae West

Mr. Jinx and Miss Lucy, they jumped in the lake
I'm not that eager to make a mistake
People are crazy and times are strange
I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
I used to care, but things have changed

- Bob Dylan