I swear, I don't even know why I'm writing this down, it’s just… it feels so stupid, you know? Like, I'm literally sitting here at 2 AM, the essay for Dr. Evans due in T-minus 6 hours and my brain is just *stuck* on this. This whole thing with Professor Davies. He's, like, 72, right? And super senior, been here forever, like the literal institution. And he tries so hard, bless his heart. He’ll come into the lounge, all bright-eyed, asking about new research, current trends, like he’s genuinely interested in what *we’re* doing. He'll start talking about some cool historical thing he found, or a weird linguistic quirk, and he’ll try to tie it into something modern, you know? Like, "Oh, this reminds me of how new idioms develop now, what are you young people seeing in, like, internet slang?" And he’s so earnest about it. But it’s like, everyone just… talks *over* him. Or around him. The moment he brings up something, anything that isn’t about the hot new theories from the 30-somethings, the conversation just swivels. It’s always about *their* latest grants, *their* publications in some journal no one's ever heard of but is apparently SUPER prestigious. Like, "Oh, you know, Professor Davies, that's interesting, but actually, Dr. Chen's work on post-structuralist narratives in TikTok is really groundbreaking, have you seen the preprint?" And he just… shrinks. You can see it, you know? Like a little deflating balloon. He’ll try to interject, "Yes, yes, fascinating, but I was just thinking about the etymology of..." and then someone else will jump in with, "Speaking of groundbreaking, Dr. Anya just got that huge fellowship for her quantum consciousness project, it’s totally redefining the field!" And it’s not even that they're mean, exactly, it’s just… oblivion. Like he’s not even there. Or like his work, his *life's* work, just isn't relevant anymore. And I know, I know, academia moves fast, and new blood is important, I get it. I’m literally trying to *be* that new blood, you know? Just trying to finish this damn PhD so I can maybe, just maybe, get a shot at that "groundbreaking" stuff. But seeing him, this really brilliant man, just… sidelined, it’s like a punch in the gut. Because I think, what if that’s me someday? What if I pour my whole life into this, into research, into teaching, and then one day I'm just… invisible? Because I’m not the shiny new toy anymore, or my ideas are "outdated"? It’s terrifying, honestly. Like, am I just fighting for a future where I’ll eventually be ignored too? And the thought of it just makes me want to scream, or just quit everything and go sell artisanal cheese or something. I just… I don't know what to do with that feeling, that deep dread. It just sits there, like a stone in my stomach.