Another Job Rejection

 I got a rejection from Bristol Uni today. And, just as I have after every job rejection I have got in the past nine months, I felt lighter. One less thing to worry about and it wasn't a job I was particularly keen on either. It was a precarious job in a snooty discipline in a snooty uni. At the same time, I know I would have regretted it if I hadn't applied for the job. I am glad I applied and I am not particularly torn by the rejection. Yes, the money would have been the nice, and the G-shock, and the new Kindle, and the new jacket will have to wait. Yes, have a profession would have improved my online dating prospects. Yes, I fear idleness after I submit my PhD thesis. But, idleness also forces you think creatively, consider options you may not have considered before, be more open to life. Idlenss can also be a time of reorientation, of self-discovery. And, after everything that has happened in the past 18 months, this feels trivial in comparison. And, as I keep reminding myself, all the turning points in my life--going to ACJ, going to ISS--were not turns of my choosing. I wouldn't have gone down those paths if I had got my first preference, and I can't thank my stars enough that I didn't get my first preference. I am doing my best, while also being open to what fate has in store for me. What more can I do?