Osler's Razor

I first started thinking about being a law prof when I was in law school myself. I saw those men and women, and they seemed genuinely happy; laughing with one another or talking earnestly to students. They did not have the stress I saw in other people at work, unless they were rushing off to catch a plane to some intriguing speaking engagement.

Of course, I did suspect that there was some secret dark side-- that there was a painful part of the whole thing that we could not see. Maybe I was right about that, since the often-tense search for tenure at Yale could be cutthroat. Generally, though, now that I see it from the other side, I was correct in thinking it must be great thing to do with your life. I can't imagine a better job in the whole world.

One of the best aspects of being a prof. is that you are in your prime in your 40's, 50's, & 60's-- still in the middle of what counts. It is really the opposite of being a great athlete, where things fade about that time. Of course, one is not exclusive of the other, and it would be a wonderful thing to be a fine athlete and then a fine professor. Many on our faculty have done exactly that: Guinn, Rogers, Serr, and Ryan were all star athletes in college.

I have a lot to be thankful for, and the vocation that found me is one of the most important.