| Having a coat in Madison is key to survival, especially for new graduate students who are embarking upon the beginning of their careers. It's more than the physical outer shell of wool or fur that you will don to keep you warm but it is the shield of armor that is invoked through choosing along political lines in your department (and trust me there are political lines that are more viscous than those in Washington D.C.) and the physical body that one will nestle up to keep away the early darkness and dreary chills and put cabin fever to good use. So how does one go about choosing his or her armor? How do we how long or heavy a coat should be? How do we know what professors to side with if we have only had a class or two? And who do want to share our bodies, bathrooms, and living spaces, and to gossip with? Well, that all depends. There are those who are eager to help you choose a coat, certain that they know what you need and then there are those that suggest you choose for yourself. Suppose you let someone choose for you. What if that person doesn't have any taste or a taste that doesn't suit you at the least? The coat will then be ill suited to your body temperature: bogus and insufficient, ugly, or just plain uncomfortable. You may not be able to realize your academic potential and get pigeonholed into writing a thesis or dissertation that ultimately bores you. Or you may a find a coat that is unfulfilling and hardly compatible. Where does one go to find a coat? There are discount shops or, are you willing to pay for quality? How does one adjust to the climate? If you side with the wrong political team, perhaps your research interests will be thwarted, or you could end up having a coat that stays around long after the winter months have gone and it becomes too hot and cumbersome to carry around over your arm or draped over your shoulder. Everyone makes a big deal about the coat. After all, it is key to one's survival. If you do not protect yourself, you could be left out in the cold, incapable of ever being warmed or getting something hot -- whether it's research, wool, or a lover. The coat is your physical, emotional, and mental armor. So how do you choose? How are you going to stay warm in the cold winter months in Wisconsin? The breeze off the lake is chilling and demands long strides with the head bent forward to protect the ever-tearing eyes from becoming frozen and rendering one blind. How do you survive the winter? It is a basic animal instinct to attain this kind of warmth. But the thing about the cold as opposed to the heat is that you can always add more to get warmer. That may work in the physical sense; but it is much more nuanced in terms of departmental identity and human emotions. You can always add a sweater; but can you add a lover or straddle your allegiance between warring professors? And there is the instance of a coat being too warm. There is a certain amount of body heat that is produced, even during the coldest winters, just by walking around campus. Perhaps the wool or fur lining is too heavy and the sweat dries in the cool wind. Then pneumonia sets in and that can be more deadly than having a flimsy coat. And then there is the issue of fashion. Should one forsake fashion for warmth or can he have both? Perhaps your interests are cutting edge and you want to go out on a limb, but others keep telling there is a safer and less risky way to go. Where does one side? We've all seen people in Madison who wear short-sleeved shirts and flip-flops in 50-degree weather. But they know their bodies and they know what they are capable of. My philosophy is, don't go cheap. This is your livelihood. Think of it in terms of cost for wear. Let's say you have entered a two-year program. Perhaps you can afford to go cheap; after all, you can always upgrade the following winter. But what if you stick around for another degree or go to an even colder place. You need to be prepared for what the future will bring. It makes sense to think about what you value most: where do you see yourself going? And what is your plan B? In what, and in whom, are you willing to invest your time and how much are you willing to lose? How much cold can you stand? And think about those willing to choose a coat or willing to help you choose a coat for yourself. What is their motive? Do they want you to side with their camp in terms of politics, carry the mark as their protege or property? Is it a sign of ownership or of having influence over you? It could be a positive reflection upon them that they were able to have such an influence or show a distinction between the knowledgeable and the ignorant. Maybe they just want you to become a clone and prepare yourself as they would be choosing the line that they follow and you give your body to them to experiment with. Then there are those who simply wait and see how cold it gets then you can decide what you need. Perhaps they may appear cold-hearted or unconcerned or they could simply consider you capable of deciding what best suits your temperament. Perhaps those with less life experience or those who have stayed in the same environment for so long only know how to react in the same way. Would they be able to suit you in what looks best on you? And insofar as coat advice is concerned, they offer to you what they have done year after year, thus turning you into the same machine. But if you have experienced many different climates and have a little more courage or warmer blood or a taste for something extraordinary, you could find yourself over-burdened and clumsy with a coat that is suffocating and cumbersome instead of warm and protective. You may find your self not having the range of motion you truly desire. Picture the kid from the movie A Christmas Story, Ralph's little brother. He was subjected to a motherly bundling. It was a bundling that did not trust that he was able to bear the cold and left him immobile and ultimately defenseless. Is that what you want? Or do you trust that you have a sense of your mind and body's ability to withstand the chill of going against the grain to fight for what you want and be truly fulfilled? Do you have the spiritual fortitude to follow your heart? Don't keep dreading the %$#@#?^ coat. Pick it now. It's not Antarctica. If you have enough sense to move to another city on your own, trust that you have enough sense not to freeze to death. You'll eventually have social relationships and you'll develop a political savvy with or without a new coat (of arms, safety, or sexual comfort). If you are determined enough to stay alive in your department, your skin and your emotions, confident that you have something to offer that's worth hearing or having, you will make it through the nine-month winter. Be true to yourself and go for what you think is best. Ultimately, it is up to you to see what you can handle. But if you do not trust your own judgment, let someone give you a motherly bundle and move within their boundaries. After all, they know what's best for you. |
| Finding the right coat: Politics, sex, and warmth By Keme Hawkins |
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