So I just went to my best friend's wedding Saturday (congrats Ed and Jenn!), and as with all weddings, I met new people who inevitably asked what I do for a living.
Whenever this happens, I have to take a deep breath and prepare for disappointment. "I'm getting my PhD" I tell them. Their answer is usually along the lines of "Oh that is so cool!...what is your degree in?". "Criminology and Criminal Justice" I respond. This is typically followed by a moment of silence while they try to figure out what I just told them, after which they typically come up with something to the tune of "Oh neat! So do you want to go in to the FBI or forensics?"
This is the point where, in my imagination, I am slamming my head against the wall like the huge, roided-out Darkseeker from I Am Legend. I calmly explain what people with PhDs typically do for a living: teach at universities, conduct research, and write papers. Whoever I am talking to eventually realizes that I said I was getting a PhD, not joining Eliot Ness and The Untouchables on a wild-hair crime fighting adventure. "Oh, I see" is a typical response, which is quickly followed by a change in topic, usually to beer.
Long story, well, not as short as I'd hoped: If you run across somebody who tells you they are getting a PhD, you just go ahead and think "Professor Jones", not "Indiana".
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