Sobering Wisdom

So I got a new job. I'm moving from collegiate education to middle-school education. I got offered the job earlier today, and I must admit that I was giddy. Remember Jerry Maguire right after Cushman's father gave the "my word is stronger than oak" speech? That was me around 4 pm.

It was one of those times when you hate that all your friends and family members have real jobs because you want to call them that very instant. Of course, at 4:15 in the afternoon, my jubilation was deflated by voicemail.

Around dinnertime, my mother called me back. Upon hearing the news, she was superficially excited, but I detected a slight negative tone when she said, "Oh, you get paid by the hour?" The conversation continued, and with every detail of my new position, instead of illogical joy and elation for my new job, I was met with logical bits of wisdom and advice. Advice is always good, especially when it comes from such a knowledgeable source, but sometimes you just want to shout "I START WORK ON MONDAY!" without having to hear echoes from reality.

A few hours later, my father returned my call. If I can count on someone for uninhibited emotional excitement, it's my father. In fact, he was the one who urged me to get a job even if it was only to accrue "walking around money." But surprisingly, his usual outlandish enthusiasm was stifled by conservative precautions. "Well, just be careful. Remember that bad jobs never get better."

Bad jobs? I haven't even started yet. I felt like I had to justify my winning the lottery.

Both my parents are very wise, and they are rarely purposefully cynical. But on days like today, where I only have exciting news without the lull of reality, I was looking forward to congratulations, not wisdom that grounds my lofty dreams of being a teacher.

But maybe it wasn't my parents fault. Maybe my extreme euphoria created impossible expectations. Realistically, no one could match my level of excitement that I created for myself. Mom did say that she was "proud of me," and Dad said my "creativity will pay off in the classroom." And, looking back, that's enough for me. After all, Mom and Dad are not my hype men; they are are my parents.