Occupation....

I am in the midst of an existential career crisis and I wish it would stop. It has gotten so bad that I caught myself the other day thinking it wouldn't be so bad to be a stay at home mom (No emails berating me for the whole stay at home mom thing! There is nothing wrong with it. It is just not the career for me). I decided a long time ago that enjoying work is important but to never loose sight of the "common good". In my idealistic world, the results of and 8 hour work day would benefit the "common good" in some way shape or form. I want the work I do to matter. I don't wonder though if it isn't all an academic exercise bogged down in bureaucracy and administration. In the end, the "common good" doesn't see it, know about it, or reap the benefits of any of it. My cerebral olympics will just be that...an exercise...a waste of tax payers money...an ambitious project that dies a slow painful ivory tower death and never sees the light of day. While I benefit from enriching myself intellectually, does it really mean anything outside of my office?