An Engineer’s Child
Fluxor kicked off this week with a post about his father, and with Father’s Day coming up, I thought I’d chime in about how my parents’ careers have affected my choices. Both my parents are programmers, and so my form of teenage rebellion was to avoid learning any programming. These efforts turned out to be counter-productive in the long run, since my current work is about half programming. When I was little, after he left the Navy, my father worked in the defense sector. When my sister and I started school, he started his own graphic software business from home. I earned my allowance by copying floppy disks and debugging. We were supposed to try and do new things with the software, and if it broke, tell him exactly what we had done that had caused the crash. I learned how to methodically trace my steps, and figure out where…
The Home Team
This week at Engineer Blogs we’ve been talking about what we’re thankful for, as are many blogs stateside this week. For many of you the big day is over and for many others this is just the start of a long weekend with family. And no matter how much you love or hate your family, or how big or how small it is, I think a big part of what makes us who we are as engineers is the team that supports us from behind the scenes (gingerbread cookies photo from Rick Waller). I know for me personally I would not have gone on to become an engineer if it wasn’t for the loving and encouraging support of my family and loved ones. For many of you you might have grown up with parents who encouraged your tinkering or just encouraged your intelligence and individuality. Engineering is not an easy…
Sound Mind and Sound Body
Recently there has been a tragedy in my family, a tragedy on my campus, and a tragedy at my alma mater. When people in your circle pass away, or you lose someone in the community, there is grief but there is also an incredible focus and refreshing of priorities in life. There are truly only a few things that really matter. In the end, it is the people that matter. As much as I prefer the logical simplicity of equations, math, and physical objects – as much as I spend my day immersed in study and planning and working in the field of engineering – truly, it is ourselves and our family, friends, and fellow human beings who deserve the highest priority. The latin motto, “Mens sana in corpore sano,” can be translated as a sound mind in a sound body. This holiday season (in the U.S., at least), I…