Big A, Little A what begins with A?

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple. Dr. Seuss

Well, ain’t that the truth, Seuss.

That Dr. Seuss had wisdom to spare and as another week begins I find myself drawn to some of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes. I grew up with Dr. Seuss—we were best buds, if you will—my mom taught my brothers and me to read using many of his books (and if I try I can recite several from memory: Big F, little f what begins with F? Four, Fluffy feathers on a fiffer-fefer-feff!) when we were barely old enough to read. From this began a love affair with words, thus, I’ve been fond of reading and writing ever since. Love affair is very appropriate description (especially given today is Valentine’s Day and all) because the relationship has had its ups and downs—sometimes even failing on me when I needed it most.

Take today. I had an interview with a school that I was very excited about interviewing with. But, I have a cold (yes, I’m sick again…I apparently have a sign on my forehead that says, “open for business—calling all germs”) that has situated itself in my throat and sinuses. I basically coughed my way through a feverish 20min interview (case in point: right in the middle of explaining a key point of my research I had to break for coughing…moment lost). I’m hoping and praying that somehow the search committee heard my main points through the coughing and sniffing but who knows (no one likes a sniffer). Words failed me today because they got caught behind a wall of mucus (gross, I know). I’m still blaming them because I feel if they had really had my back they would have mustered through with a better fight.

Today’s interview I'm appropriately titling as a AYFK? moment.
My mentor (and dissertation head) told a group of us a secret: awhile
ago she was given a slip of paper with words "are you kidding" on them
and was told to pull it out whenever the moment seemed to call for them.
Today was one of those moments only I'd like to re-phrase, "are you [blank]
kidding?!?" (texting purposes AYFK?).

The questions are complicated, yes indeed. How the heck do I get a job? How do I prove to a search committee that I’m the one that they want (because I’m smart, competent, and work really hard—I mean how does one get that across in an interview without seeming too narcissistic)? When do I get off this insanely long and bumpy roller coaster (have a mentioned I hate roller coasters?!?)? And most importantly, “And will [I] succeed?” According to Seuss, “Yes, indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed.” Hm. It’s the other one and a quarter that worries me.