2002—The Falling Sky
As this pivotal year wore (and wore) on, it became ever more apparent that CoMMensa, Incorporated, was coming to the end of its life, and that I would have to choose
  1. to start another company;
  2. to work for somebody else; or
  3. to sell out and decamp.
The first option never jelled into anything one could act upon. I ran off in several manful if frantic and futile directions, in service to the second. And we wound up, with tears and durable depression of mind and spirit, enmeshed irretrievably in excruciating implementation of the third. Do I make the point that it hurt?

In the forlorn hope that somebody would hire a 61-year-old research maven with an decided tendency toward unconventional ideas,
  • I put together a vita, incorporated (follow the “Conventional CV” link at the bottom) into a somewhat embarrassing hypertext piece (“the HyperVita”) aimed at peddling me to the job market;
  • I consulted the local folks in charge of the Church’s employment function;
  • I prayed like gangbusters; and
  • I offered my future to my old friends at Abt Associates;
Let’s just say that the Church employment people were organized to respond to other sorts of needs than mine.

I continue to believe firmly in the power of prayer. And I also understand that prayers, however gangbusting, don’t always get answered in the affirmative. Mine weren’t, except as I couched them in “Thy will, not mine…” language. Can’t say I always came off happy with the results, at least in the short run.

Old friends Wendell Knox and Joanie Mullen, by now president and vice president at Abt Associates, indicated that I was welcome back, if I could make a convincing case that I could bring in at least enough new work to cover the cost of having me there. After twenty years out of the social science research industry and its circles of issues and contacts, though, I really couldn’t make that case. The more so because corporate rainmaking has never been my long suit.

While hanging hopefully around 55 Wheeler Street, though, I did get to renew my old friendships with Clark and Wendy Abt. Clark kindly invited me to join a group that met regularly at their house on Follen Street to share and discuss memoirs. I enjoyed that a lot, until we left at the end of the year. I’ll insert the pieces I contributed on the next few pages.

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