BY NICOLE BRAUN

It looks like I will have quite a few dogs and cats to care for over the holidays as a lot of folks are going away. I am going to meet some more new furry pals today.

But this happened the other day: I went to a potential gig where the couple looked like they were middle aged. And the dog mom, in the process of interviewing me to see if I was the right fit for her dog, asked me what grade I teach and what I teach. I had told her that I was also an educator.  

“I teach at the college level. Sociology.”  

She looked surprised but then told me she is an undergraduate in sociology currently, so I asked her about her classes.  She shared the different courses she is taking and then asked me in a very serious and sad voice, “How do you cope and deal with all of it? The world is so horrible. What is it like to teach this stuff day in and day out?” 

I paused, not sure what to say. Here I am, a  sociology professor watching dogs to make ends meet during a pandemic, during the holiday season, because the country cares so little about educators. I know full well how awful the world is and what time it is.  I am always in survival mode,  like many others in the country, even though I have been socialized to believe that folks with advanced degrees have more economic stability because of all this formal higher education.  

“I don’t know.  Things are really hard for lots of folks, I don’t know if I cope that well. I try my best. Some days are better than others, I have been teaching a long time and ironically, I live a lot of the realities I teach. My students live a lot of these realities as well and it is tough to digest because we as a society have constructed the world we live in, and it does not have to be this way. There is so much suffering,” I managed to say.  

Her husband was listening quietly.  I felt like he was probably thinking, “My wife should pick a different major if the professor is walking dogs…” 

Maybe I was projecting my own internalized shame because my life has not “worked out” as planned—and while being a dog walker is a very important job, I did not envision this as my future when I borrowed money to go to school.  

But it was time to go, so I kissed her dog on the top of his head (he was cute and sweet but also particular about who he likes— truth be told, I did have a lot of treats) and tried to think of something wise to say, now that I had fessed up to being an educator,  so I said, “We just do what we can. Being aware is not easy—sometimes my students say I have ruined them for life because they cannot stop seeing what they used to not see. Self-care is important, as best as that can be managed in the midst of economic ruin and so much inequality. Then, we hang out with dogs.” 

And I kissed her dog again on his sweet little head and said I would see him soon.