Yes, I officially abandoned my research paper on the Viking sagas last night and emailed my professor to that effect, apologizing profusely.
I’m just too sick, and too worried about my health, to be able to work further on it. I did get 15 pages done, but I still had many, many more to go, and ones that would have required more thought to compose than what I had already written.
So I quit.
And I feel relieved. It was a spur-of-the-moment voluntary effort: I blurted out the idea of doing the paper at what was supposed to be my last meeting of the semester with my prof. I’m an auditor in a special program in which we get no credit for classes we take and in exchange we do not have to take exams or write papers.
So this paper wasn’t something I was required to do. And the idea came to me before I got this case of bronchitis, which is giving me so much grief.
The semester ended yesterday. Although my professor granted me an extension to get the paper to her, I think that she will be secretly relieved not to have to read and comment on it as she’s preparing for the holidays and her family’s move at the end of the month to Chicago for her sabbatical.
I could be wrong: she could be waiting with bated breath for my paper… but somehow I don’t think so. 😛
Let Us Live Like We Mean It! 
Don’t get the wrong idea, but we think this is the best decision you’ve made! From what we’ve read you have been stressing over this project for weeks. Health has deteriorated and you MUST get back on track with that first! Rest well, now that the burden if lifted from your tired shoulders.
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Thank you so much for these kind words, Mel and Suan. Indeed this project has been such a heavy burden–it would have been fine if I had stayed healthy, but that’s not what happened. ‘Man proposes; God disposes.’ In this case, my plan was simply not workable. Again, I thank you for supporting me! 🙂
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“Stress-less-ness is next to Godliness…..?” I think maybe I got that quote wrong, but it works for me. LOL. Enjoy your holiday, rest, celebrate. Life is all good.
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Thanks, Larry! I think you got the quote RIGHT. May you also have a wonderful, relaxing, inspiring holiday! 🙂
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Even though I’ve not known you very long, I’m very proud of you, Timi, for having made the decision to quit because really your health is more important than anything else. Without health you won’t have the energy to do anything else in the future.
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Thank you, Val. I really value (that is not to be taken as a pun!) your opinion. And I agree. Health is paramount! 🙂
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Your health should always come first so you definitely made the right decision
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Thank you, Lindsey! 🙂
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Recovering from bronchitis often takes a very long time. Sometimes we need to slow down and give our bodies what they need. That you feel relieved about your decision indicates that it is no doubt the right one. I hope you’ll get some rest now and enjoy the holidays! Feel better soon!
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Thank you Barbara. I’m actually doing some Christmas cards now! 🙂
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Health must always come first and I’m glad you’ve taken this decision now, rather than ploughing on with the paper while you health goes steadily downhill. Do look after yourself. As you say, the paper wasn’t necessary to you. Being stress free is what retirement is about and you can now look forward to that amazing trip to Iceland. (Just son’t get stressed over whether or not to buy an Icelandic sweater. Lol)
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Thanks, Millie. I have decided that I won’t get an Icelandic sweater, because the AirBnB folks I’m staying two nights with told me that they are $200+. I’ve heard that from other people, too. I’d rather do something like go out on a Viking long-ship than have a sweater, however nice it might be. I’m all about having the experiences! 🙂
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Little on Iceland is cheap, Timi. The sweaters are made from the wool of Icelandic sheep and are hand knitted, but at $200+ you’d have to really love them to spend that much. Wool next to my skin (even just around my neck) would drive me crazy, so I didn’t look too closely.
If you aren’t someone who suffers from sea-sickness, the Viking ships sound amazing, especially in May. it was getting quite chilly by the end of September. We had a couple of very frosty mornings. I agree, getting in there and ‘doing’ is the best part of any holiday.
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When I was a little girl I was very timid, just like my name. 😉 But in my late teens I underwent a sea change and ever since then I’ve been quite adventurous–for example going off to Turkey to live with a man I met over the Internet. 😛 So a sail on a modern-day Viking long-ship sounds like just the thing for me! 🙂
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Then get your sea legs on and go for it! I’d love to do it, too. My husband wasn’t so keen and as we had so little time, I backed down. In May it would be wonderful. And I’ll expect lots of nice photos!
Is Timi an abbreviation of your real name, or one chosen just for your blog? (Hope you don’t mind me asking.) I can’t imagine you being timid. 🙂
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Millie, I get asked all the time about my name, ‘Timi.’ It is my official birth certificate name. My mother wanted to name me ‘Timothy’ and an officious nurse said she couldn’t name a little girl that, so Mother said ‘Timi’ instead and that’s what went down on the certificate. But sometimes my mother would call me ‘Timothy’ as a nickname. 🙂 As to where either name came from, that something of a mystery. The names that were picked out for a baby girl ahead of time were ‘Holly Noel,’ because my due date was Christmas (I was late by four hours), or ‘Amy Elizabeth’ if I didn’t come on Christmas. I rather like ‘Amy Elizabeth,’ but I’m quite used to ‘Timi’ after what will be 65 years on December 26th!
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Thank you for all that,Timi. What an interesting process your parents went through in naming you and what a shame you just missed being born on Christmas Day. Having that birthday must be really something. In the UK we celebrate Boxing Day on the 26th – another great day for a birthday. I like Amy Elizabeth very much, too, but Timi is nice and short and undoubtedly quite unique.
I will be 70 on April 11, so I have a good few years on you. 😀
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My best friend Josie will be 70 on April 17th. We have been best friends since I was 5 and she was 10. Amazingly we immediately hit it off in spite of what was then a huge age difference. We saw right away that we are kindred spirits. 🙂
So your age is something of a known quantity to me, even though I’m not there yet… 😉
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I don’t feel unduly daunted in facing my septuagenarian years, Timi. I feel quite fit and healthy, although I don’t like the cold. (Or perhaps I should say, my poor old knees don’t like the cold.) My husband of 46 years was 70 last Sunday. I don’t know where all the years have gone. Our eldest child (one of two daughters) is now 44. Our youngest (of six) is 33. I suppose their ages alone should make me feel antiquated.
How lovely that you’ve kept in touch with your friend through all those years. You and Josie must really be kindred spirits. 😀
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What a shame you had to give up the paper, although I didn’t realise it was causing quite so much stress. At least you can concentrate on getting better and enjoying Christmas.
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Thank you, April. but I haven’t given up on the paper totally, just as a part of my Medieval Lit class from last term. I have saved all my notes and my bibliography, and I hope to go back to it someday and finish it! 🙂
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Excellent. Nothing is ever wasted.
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Exactly! Especially if we make a point of using it! 🙂
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