Shouldn’t I Be Saving The World, Or Something?  Dear Megan,   I
know there's nothing more trite and irritating than a "quarter
life crisis." I know that, really, I do. And I try not to talk
about it, except in some charmingly off the cuff, self-
deprecating way, that is always less charming than desperately
sad. But I have to talk about it. I have to think about it. It
consumes me about 80% of the time.  Here's the deal: I'm getting
a PhD right now. Why? God knows. Probably because unemployment
sounds fun, and taking a long, winding, and cripplingly lonely
path to that unemployment sounds even better! (See what I'm
talking about? Not charming. Desperate.) I entered the program
after one year out of college, because I listened to my father's
advice. And I don't hate it. Not always. Sometimes I love it,
and I think I might be Good at History, so that's something.
Plus I really like the teaching part, and everyone else hates
that, so I take that as a good sign. But I just feel ... like a
failure at 27?  I have a