Workmanlike

When I was a college professor, I used to say August 15 was the “turning point,” when the sleepy liberal arts campus I taught at (and where, yes, the culture and student body was extremely like that of Netflix’s The Chair! I burst into tears when Joan made her speech about sexism to the equity office, and also a few other scenes. I laughed a lot, too) came back to life. August 15 was the unofficial day on which profs were back in the office finalizing syllabi; the administration was starting to ask us to attend meetings on new policies, and students were emailing about getting on waitlists for fall classes.

Now that I am no longer on the semester schedule, I adore the last two weeks in August, which I now try to preserve as sweet, sweet added downtime. It may be August 24, but I don’t have to listen to the first pops of fall anxiety. I will wait allllll the way until Labor Day to sit up straighter at my desk, reply to emails more promptly, and clench my jaw about sales of our fall …