There's quiet beauty in the academic life. One aspect of this is its cyclical nature. Unlike most jobs, where the work just keeps on coming, and there are always tasks at various stages of completion, in the world of education each term has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Yesterday I reached the end of another semester with the giving of my final exam. I tortured the students for four hours, after which we disappear out of each other's lives -- some for a while, many for good. I have a pile of bluebooks that I have to grade now, but the shows and the grilling are over until mid-January.

What a pleasure to open one's eyes after a long night's sleep and realize there is no need to be anywhere at any particular time. For that it's worth sacrificing the big bucks that might be available outside the classroom.