The Strings Attached

I got that training grant, which I'm very happy about since the lab's grant wasn't renewed this time (or last time -- yikes). I would have been a little nervous since I'm at the bottom of the lab totem pole, but I'm safe for at least a year now. However it does mean that in the next year I have to get some good data and apply for another grant (or try to get this one renewed). But here's the kicker:

I. Service Requirement In accepting a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award to support my postdoctoral researchtraining, I understand that my first 12 months of Kirschstein−NRSA Individual Fellowship support forpostdoctoral research training carries with it a payback obligation. I hereby agree to engage in a month of health-related research, health-related research training, or health-related teaching for each month I receive aKirschstein−NRSA Individual Fellowship for postdoctoralresearch training up to and including 12 months or, if I receive a Kirschstein−NRSA Individual Fellowship forpostdoctoral research training for more than 12 months, Iagree that the 13th month and each subsequent month ofKirschstein-NRSA-supported postdoctoral researchtraining will satisfy a month of my payback obligationincurred in the first 12 months. This service shall beinitiated within 2 years after termination ofKirschstein−NRSA support. The research or teachingshall be on a continuous basis and shall average more than 20 hours per week of a full work year. II.
Payback Provisions: I understand that if I fail to undertake or perform such service in accordance with Section I above, the United States will be entitled to recover from me an amount determined in accordance with the following formula:
A = F [(t-s)/t]
where “A” is the amount the United States is entitled torecover; “F ” is the sum of the total amount paid to meunder the initial 12 months of my postdoctoral Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award support; “t”is the total number of months in my service obligation; and“s” is the number of months of such obligation served.....
Signature: _____________________________________________
Date: ____________________________

Behold, the payback agreement form saying I have to stay in science doing research for a year after my training grant is over. So that job at OMSI looks further away than what I once thought. Although I hate being told what to do, I'm kind of OK with the arrangement. In fact, I've temporarily gotten over the "what am I going to do with my life". I'm just sort of at peace now. I have a job. Given it's not my dream job, but it pays the bills, is interesting enough and allows me a lot of freedom to decide how I spend my day. In return for not being fully happy from 9-5, I get to have a house I adore, a loving husband with whom I can spend my evenings and some sweet little blueberry bushes in the backyard with which I can make pancakes on the weekends. So who's to say a person has to have everything to be happy? Rachel's always said that at any one point a person's going to be complaining about at least one of the following:

a. finding a place to live
b. finding a person to love
c. finding a job you like

Was Meatloaf right?