Today I got a tongue-lashing from my department chair because the coordinator told her I did something I didn't do, and that I said something I never said. Of course, the department chair will always take her word over mine. That's how it is when someone has more ambition than intelligence or talent and has a title that you don't.
It looks like I'm going to revert to an old way of mine: On the job, I simply won't talk to anyone unless I must. That's how I used to be on previous jobs. Of course, that limited my networking opportunities, but that wasn't so bad for me, really. I mean, is the hobnobbing really worth having someone do what this coordinator did to me? Look where being open and friendly with co-workers got me!
The only thing that's worthwhile about being an educator is actually educating people. Sometimes that happens in the classroom; other times it happens in other contact you have with your students. But the rest of being an educator is not worth what you have to go through to become one: The pay sucks and you find yourself dealing with pettiness and vindictiveness you simply don't see in any other sort of endeavor.
And English departments are, I'm convinced, the worst of all. Well, maybe some philosophy departments are worse, but I can't imagine any other sort of department that can be so bad.
At times like this, I think my students who are accounting majors have the right idea!
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