Philberts Dilemma

Philbert’s in a state euphoric, and why not? After years of burning academic oil, a PhD he’s got! But a PhD these days – as he is finding out – guarantees no job security, and even lesser clout. Resumé after resumé, interview after interview, Philbert sits and waits for his dream job to come through. Student loans with rising interest rates, those he has and car payments, too, but not a penny to buy gas. He’s made his parents into financial wrecks; he fears they’ll soon be living off meager welfare checks. With conscience tight in knots, he wonders if he did them right, or would they prefer him happy but stupid? At a bar he ponders this dilemma, but to no use; he drinks himself into a stupor and pays with IOUs.