Thankful 

It's been a long time since I last posted, I know. Blogging got me no closer to the finish line, though. I swore to myself that I wouldn't post until I defended my dissertation. That day has come.

Not surprisingly, I am trying to wrap my head around what happened. What I did well. What I didn't. I need a lot more time to process my experiences with my dissertation and my time as a doctoral student. It felt much harder than it should have been, but there's no arguing that my track record and my trajectory are enviable. Did I have it hard? Too easy? Was it exactly how it should have been? Can you even use the term, "should have been?"

I'll start safely and simply say that I am eternally grateful to everyone who stood by me despite the disincentives. My friends in Minnesota helped my parents get by even though it meant being berated by my insane father. I have been intolerable with my wife at times, and my success means she has to give up her very nice job. My committee has the hope of a publication if I stitch together all of the findings well. The cost: an incredible loss of time, and no recognition on their merit reviews (which determines promotion). The only person who clearly wins in the end is me. I thank everyone who has helped me over the years as I've tried to earn the PhD. I hope I can return the favor someday.

No need for the stiff arm - daddy should be more tolerable going forward!