After 17 years of living under an alias, I have decided to retire from teaching.
I won't pretend that I'm not terrified. Reinventing yourself is never easy. And none of my previous transitions have gone smoothly so I don't expect this one to be any different. In fact, it will probably be harder.
My ego is more closely tied to being a professor at NYU than it ever was to my previous roles in advertising. I even got a new name. Now I wonder how many years it will take before I stop reacting when someone yells out "Professor."
But beyond this, Bette Davis had it right when she said: "Old age ain't no place for sissies." And I think all those silly catchphrases like "60 is the new 40" must have been written by people in their 20's. Because that is not my reality.
I'll miss the promise of a new semester. And working with smart young people who want to change the world. I'll probably miss them even more when I need someone to explain the next "NFT" to me.
But the call of things undone is getting louder. And I realize that time is no longer infinite. So I need to move on. I have books I want to read and art I need to create. And hopefully many more years of joy ahead.
School's out forever...
Best of luck!
Prof. Lehrer
