I'm stationed at Naval Air Station Pensacola about 9 years ago, and I'm attending an aviation school that has a section we must pass to qualify as an aviation radiographer. We are sitting in class, and I'm reading over my study material. As I'm reading over the atomic weight of beryllium and how alpha particles are dangerous but cannot penetrate even a slab of cardboard, the thought occurs to me that I will never really need to know this information, I just want to work on airplanes. Of course, after I completed the school, I was an aviation inspector and we x-rayed F18's and other numerous aircraft to check for cracks in the structures. I used that information on a daily basis. If I had known the importance of it, I might not have been so reluctant to learn about gamma rays, decay, and dosage limits.
Okay, fasten your seat belt! We're going back to the present. Put away your Bush/Cheney bumper stickers and embrace Socialism!
So now I'm sitting here reading my science book, and it's one of those courses where I'm thinking, I will never really need to know this information, I just want to get my degree. Lo and behold, the very chapter that I am studying is on atomic weight, radiation, dosage limits, gamma rays, decay, and pretty much the same stuff that I aforementioned.
My overactive and constantly wandering imagination kicks in:
Could this be deja vu? Is this some weird parallel experience that I have stumbled upon, to think that I will never use this stuff and then end up using it again? All of this has happened before, and it will happen again. Will I be a nuclear scientist, or just go back to working on airplanes? Is this my mission in life? What am I supposed to do? Did I not get enough genes passed on to me during conception? Maybe Darwin was right and we descended from monkeys. I could go for some Chunky Monkey ice cream right about now. I wonder if Star Trek is on TV. The kids are still asleep, I better finish my science homework.
So since I've had this sort of parallel experience, I thought I would share it with everybody. It probably means nothing, but it sure sounds cool.
When I put the children down for naptime, they were not going down easily but they nevertheless succumbed to their destiny as quiet, sleeping, wonderful children. But before that, we goofed around for a few:
Claire and I Cheesin' for the camera (Click on the pic, you can see my nose hairs)
Nicholas chose not to participate
The children are still in bed taking their afternoon nap. This happens to be a glorious occasion. I am so happy when it is total quiet in this place and I can get stuff done.
You have a wonderful afternoon! I have class tonight, so if I don't see you this evening, you have a wonderful life experience and I'll catch you in the AM.
J
2 comments:
such a good pic of claire! Kev said you should be a writer...that is if the airplane thing doesn't work out...
It just goes to show the saying is true...history repeats itself.
And I personally think you missed your calling in life...you should be studying electronics. Getting a 2 or 4-year electronics degree, with your background in the Marines, would land you a phat job down at Quantico.
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