The Jungle

This is the small round table that I sit
next to, and perch my coffee on when
Jim and I get together to chat. This is just
a glimpse of the magical jungle.

Every other Wednesday I hop on a conference call for my assistantship. I meet in Jim's office for the call on campus. Some days I come to his office earlier if we need to go over anything, some days I just like going in earlier because I find so much joy in chatting with him. He is a wealth of knowledge, and in some ways has become a kind of mentor for me. He directs his advice to me not just as a graduate assistant, but also as a student, a professional, and to someone who has future goals. He knows what I'm interested in and is able to make connections for me, to people or to readings. In short, he's awesome. I will miss working with him because he is retiring at the end of the summer. But my future plans are for another blog post. (Don't worry, I have something in the hopper). Before I ever met Jim, the woman who was previously in my GA-ship was kind enough to email me and tell me a little about the work. I remember distinctly that she wrote "I left a folder of information with Jim. He should have it to give to you and hopefully he can find it. You will understand when you see his office." I didn't think much of it, until I walked into The Jungle. It is amazing and almost indescribable. Let's just say that when I scooch my wheeled chair (circa 1976) up to the phone on his desk so we can get on the conference call, I roll over several (and by several I mean 38) academic journals that are still in their plastic wrap. His desk is like a miracle of balance; there are several hundred pieces of paper stacked with books and dissertations in review, towering ever so precariously. In a world with gravity, they should fall. In Jim's office, they are just there. In perfect balance. Like Jenga. And every time I go into his office, nothing has moved, thus, nothing falls over. I am both in awe of his office, and also extremely comforted by it. I love every other Wednesday.