Musing

Redirection or Delta Pace That pretty much says it all. They say that an obscene percentage of college students change their major/career plans at least once while taking undergrad courses. And now, it seems that I am quickly headed towards becoming one of those statistics. What else can I say? I love physics. It's applied math, used for research in some of the most cunning ways in the most cutting-edge fields of modern physics. It beats trying to beat stupid high school shits into believing that the quadratic equation really is important. I started my first field experience today in which I will actually take control of a certain period twice a week for a period of several weeks. Instead of looking forward to it with an expected amount of nervousness, I know I'm going to get up in front of those kids on Thursday with nothing but a feeling of defeat. These kids don't give a damn, plain and simple. Few of them ever will. I know it's not like me to...

A One-Fingered Compliment or How To Tell When You're Truly Appreciated One of the stockboys took out a stack of groceries to put up today, then came back into the back room a minute later and asked Joe (the boss) what he should do next. Joe blinked, then suggested that he do the stack that the boy just took out. Looking surprised at Joe's brilliance, the kid said "Oh, good idea!" then hurried out. I was at Joe's desk watching the whole thing and raised my eyebrow at him after the boy walked out, saying "I wish you the best of luck starting Thursday," since my last day is Wednesday. I went back to the order I was working on as he walked over and said "I've only got one thing to say to you about that." I waited a moment, and then looked up to find his middle finger raised in my direction. Then we both laughed: mine, grateful; his, rueful. I've never felt so needed.