Monday, June 20, 2005
(2:08 PM) | Adam Kotsko:
Way out in the lead
My friend Melinda Minch is way out in front of my group of friends from high school. She recently completed her MA in computer science and is preparing to move to Washington to work for Microsoft. She is also engaged. All the major milestones of adulthood are in place, and she seems poised for a very happy and productive life.Here is an update on others in this circle:
- Adam Kotsko continues his terminal decline into fiscal insolvency this year as he begins a PhD program in Theology, Ethics, and the Human Sciences. His penchant for falling in love with married and/or older women continues to hamper any prospects of getting married. Analysts warn that perpetual adolescence remains very much on the horizon for the near- to medium-term.
- Michael Schaefer, after some initial setbacks, has secured employment with Euromonitor, a market research firm, allowing him to actually use some of the skills he acquired in his undergraduate work. His MA in Russian and Eastern European Studies from Stanford gave him something of an early lead in the eyes of some observers, but its net effect has been negligible over the course of the study period. His live-in girlfriend boosts his adulthood score somewhat, though not as much as would a full-blown marriage.
- Michael Hancock continues to struggle. Arguably holding a slight lead over Mr. Kotsko, he is currently serving in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan or in a country relatively close to Uzbekistan. Plans for the future remain unclear, though it is unlikely that he has tens of thousands of dollars in debt on the immediate horizon. His preference for single women his own age may give him an edge over Mr. Kotsko in the race for the coveted "not last place" slot.
- Joe Fairweather is poised to overtake Ms. Minch in the medium- to long-term. Currently pursuing his PhD in engineering, with special emphasis on hydrogen fuel cells, Mr. Fairweather is virtually guaranteed wealth and success. His relatively recent entry into the dating market ideally positions him to make a suitable match, unburdened by emotional baggage and aided by the promise of a six-figure income.
- Becky Fairweather is making many of the same missteps that continue to hamper Mr. Kotsko as she pursues her music career. Prospects are helped by her decision to become a state-certified teacher, giving her an ideal "bail-out" career, something shared by neither Mr. Kotsko nor Mr. Hancock. Consequently, her hold on a midlevel ranking remains relatively certain, with some possibility for rapid growth depending on her success in the job market for classical musicians.
