recollected conversation #72

Music: Mark Hollis: Mark Hollis (1998)

J: "I'm getting close to forty. I've decided to go back to school for one more degree."

H: "What? So when do you break even?"

J2: "Crazy."

H: "You profs have got it good. You can't get fired with tenure, right? I mean, I know five guys who got laid off today."

J: "We profs work all the time. I mean, the luxuary of this job is that when we work is pretty flexible. I think this is an ideal job for raising a family, but still, we do work---"

H: "Whatever [tone of indignation]. In my world you can get laid off on the drop of a hat. We don't got tenure. I mean, job security—"

J: "It's not what you think. You can get fired, even with tenure, it just takes about five years. And besides, none of us will ever make six figures like you---"

H: "Wait a minute. I know a number of profs—"

J: "From two generations ago. Things have changed. You cannot compare what I do and get to what my senior---"

H: "I still say, you have it good. The professor's life is the life. I know of three guys who got laid off today."

J2: "What is it? School loans?"

J: "About 80 grand, but I owe about 50 now."

J2: "So, how long?"

H: "Yeah, when do you break-even? If you go back to school you'd be, what, 55? And then?"