Rallying the troops

ral-ly (v) from the Old French ralier meaning “to unite”: To call together for a common purpose; assemble: To reassemble and restore to order: To recover abruptly from a setback or disadvantage: To show sudden improvement in health or spirits.

I’ve always loved the phrase “rally the troops.” I searched for the historical significance of the phrase- who the first person was to say it; what it meant originally; its first context. Alas, I couldn’t find anything super specific. But a Google search (what did we do before Google?) can tell you that it’s been used in political and motivational speeches from great leaders of the US military as far back as Washington, and as recently as last week in a Washington Post article describing Obama’s recent trip to Afghanistan. So all in all, a pretty oft used and heavily quoted little idiom. (Oooo, let’s add “idiom” to my list of favorite words.)

What it has come to mean over the course of the years is mostly the last of the definitions above: to show sudden improvement in health or spirits. That’s what presidents do when they go out and talk with the troops in the field. They are trying to renew the soldiers’ belief in the cause, raise their spirits, and motivate them to continue on the path. (Not that they really have a choice, mind you. But those of us who study educational psychology…or, you know, just have any common sense at all, know that if you believe in something and are passionate about something and feel that the end result is important and necessary, you’re gonna try harder and be more emotionally invested and thus usually be more successful. So, there’s my piece of educational wisdom for today: caring equals trying harder which equals greater success. [By the way, this will become an interesting little corollary to tomorrow’s posting which will be titled “I don’t even care.” More to come.])

So, as all my friends know, and as you readers could probably have guessed by now (subtlety-- not my strongest quality…or a quality I possess in any form…) I’m actively looking for a new job. Not necessarily because I want to, but because apparently having a PhD does not make your position any more recession-proof than anyone else’s. (One of the statistics that they use to scare you when you go into graduate school is that there are more PhDs driving cabs in New York City than exist at most small universities. I used to think that was urban legend…I’m starting to believe it. )

Relax, dear readers. I’m not jobless. I have signed a contract for this coming academic year… And as long as I don’t mind that I’ll be picking up some additional duties at a slightly reduced salary with the promise that this time NEXT year I *will* be jobless, then I’m just fine. Right. (Most innovative HR incentive plan ever? Nay.) And so, since all that seems like nonsense to me, I’m actively looking for something else, effective next year for certain, or even better, immediately.

Now because I’ve been very happy in my job and because “the plan” (what’s the old saying…if you want to make God laugh, make a plan? Touché, God. Touché.) was for me to stay in this position until J came home, when we would then know where his next assignment might be, and we would get married, and happily move wherever that next place might be…together… (sigh…could it please be that day? Please?) I have never spoken of leaving my job or looking for something else. Not yet at least. I have two more years before I have think about that, right? Wrong.

Man, let me tell you, though… Once I did even make *mention* of leaving here…my friends have shown up. Talk about rallying the troops! It seemed like once I started talking about finding something new, all my friends got totally behind me. Started looking for jobs for me. Started dropping my name and resume on people’s desks. They have definitely come together on my behalf…united in mission. And being so good to me.

What their support has done in turn for me is provide the feeling that comes with all those remaining definitions of the word “rally”. I have suddenly had a lift in spirits… a realignment of mission and focus…a recovery from what seemed a horrible setback. I had never before so directly felt the importance of rallying the troops! It’s amazing what a difference that can make to a person (thanks friends.)

I wish that I could do that for J right now. Provide that support and motivation. I feel like he’s a little down recently. He’s super busy. He’s super tired. And from his voice, I feel like he’s super frustrated. (Though honestly, I don’t get that kind of information right now. Between his feeling that he can’t really talk talk over the phone and his just natural inability to say anything overly negative about anything, especially as it relates to his job, I won’t ever really know the intricacies of his current frustrations- at least not for a long time.) This makes me sad. I so wish that I could serve as his rally point right now like all of my friends are doing for me.

What’s it gonna take to raise his spirits? I don’t know right now. But I can tell you this-- I’m committed to figuring that out.