I finished the introduction to my master's thesis today. Seven pages, 13 footnotes, excessive use of words like "hermeneutic," "discourse," and "neo-liberal economic hegemony." Well, okay, I finished the first draft. It will probably have to be rewritten at least once, but it's a step in the right direction.

Here's my dilemma. I teach a bunch of high school kids, and I doubt any of them could understand what I am saying in my paper. Hell, my mom and dad both have masters degrees, and I doubt they could understand my thesis either. The only ones who will make any sense of it will be the three professors who read and grade it. I'm writing a 50 page paper for an audience of three. Not very productive in the overall scheme of things.

Secret societies are on the wane these days, but I think that world of academia has stepped in nicely. My MA thesis is like the journeyman's test. If I pass then I can study for master status a.k.a. the mysterious and highly coveted PhD. Once I'm a master I can take on apprentices and journeymen of my own. Unfortunately the pay sucks, positions are uber-competitive and consequently hard to find, and I have to write special treatises every year for a minimal audience. And I thought the perks got better the higher you went. Adjunct position, here I come.