As you know, if you’ve been paying any attention, there will be a number of MAJOR events taking place in the lives of your fellow faculty members. Some are moving, some are retiring, some are getting married, some are having kids, and, undoubtedly, some are doing many important things not on that list.
So, I thought I’d post an open thread of sorts so that you people can provide those people with the wisdom of your experience (and/or snappy bits of wisdom that you’ve picked up from others along the way.
I have found that, “Don’t take any wooden nickels” works well in both literal and figurative terms for pretty much anybody about to do pretty much anything.
But if you’d like to offer anything more specific (e.g., “Parent the kid who comes out” for soon to be parents, or “Always date your spouse” for soon to be marrieds, or “Lord loves a working man” for the soon to be retired), this is just the place to do it.
The Harold Lounge 
Here’s good advice for those that would take it. It’s the Five Questions We Have to Answer to Fix American Education. Don’t listen to HOW he says it, listen to WHAT he says:
MathArt
Dang, Art. You stole my post for tomorrow…
No, no, … go ahead and post it again!
BTW, … what I said must ring true: my liberal friends hate parts of it; my conservative friends hate parts of it. Needless to say, the intersection of said parts is the null set. 🙂
My advice for those who are:
Going to get married: Right after the honeymoon, make sure you continue to work on the marriage. It’s a 24/7 commitment. You’ll be done fixin’ up your home sooner than you will be done fixin’ your marriage. I mean this in a good way. You’ll reap what you sow.
Going to have a baby: Love and patience will go a long way. Don’t call them bud or buddy. They’re your children, not your friends.
Going to retire: Find a way to share your words of wisdom and wonderful experiences with those you leave behind at the college. It’ll do us a world of good. Oh yeah, and enjoy those grand kids. They need you as much as you need them.
Going on a summer break: Enjoy your break. Have a good vacation. Recharge those batteries. Check in on The Lounge between now and the start of the Fall semester. I’ll be throwin’ some posts up throughout the summer from my vacation spots.