A few months from now, I'll be leaving Tennessee forever. I can hardly wait. I've been here for eight years. I had no idea how much I would change in that time, nor the least idea that I would find myself lacking in essential virtues such as forebearance, tolerance, and patience. I always knew I was an intensely social creature, requiring best friends and friends and acquaintences and work friends. But I didn't realize how devastating it would be to be cut off from a social life, and wholly dependent on my husband for all sensible, intelligent intercourse. I have not been so miserable since age 13 when I was bullied at school.
I'm not going to apologise for my negative views about Nashville. I didn't plan to hate it, and I didn't try to hate it. I know perfectly well that it suits some people. What I didn't know before I moved here is how difficult it is for a woman from the west coast to fit in with the prevalent culture. I'll sketch the details quickly, shall I?
I moved to the south because my husband accepted a position teaching physics in 1989. We moved from San Francisco, my favorite city in the world. He was on the tenure track at Vanderbilt, so we knew all along that seven years was the deal. After that, either he'd get a permanent position or we'd move again. I was certainly hoping for the latter; I never wanted to leave SF, but I knew it was inevitable for a time. And, to be fair, I was quite ready for a change of some kind when this job came along.
Fast forward six and a half years. John, who does excellent research in particle physics, merely met and didn't exceed the department average in teaching scores. However, he had discovered a particle, and some important meson information, and gets along well with everyone, so his department voted for tenure. The Dean of Arts and Sciences turned him down. Everyone was shocked. One month later, the Dean was diagnosed with brain cancer. She has since died. Lawsuits were considered, then dropped.
I'm proud to say that John is on the short list of 5 people for a position at Lawrence Berkeley Labs, a highly sought-after appointment. I'm not holding my breath, but it would be wonderful to go home again. On the other hand, he's also looking at M.I.T. and some other fine places, so I'm determined to enjoy wherever we move. As long as it's out of the south. I never want to see grits again.