Flashback

[vinceconaway]

I was 20 or so, seated uncomfortably in a suit across a desk from a bored professional in his early forties.  I was interviewing for an internship, not because I was interested in the job but because I wanted more interviewing experience.  After a pretty dull beginning, he asked me why I was studying engineering.

There were three answers I could have given.  The first was the one my mother would have offered, that I had been analytically minded since childhood, fascinated by the ways that things were assembled and functioned together.  The second answer I might have given was that the pride of my family in my choosing a "hard" major, coupled with a probable ticket into a comfortably middle class life, was a potent cocktail.  I gave neither.

Instead I started describing my educational goals in abstractions.  I was seeking a truly Renaissance education, with a detailed knowledge of art, science, history, math, and music.  I was searching for perfect conversation, and in pursuit of that I wanted to be able to talk about anything.  A traditional liberal arts curriculum wasn't nearly rigorous enough, but I figured independent study could get me where I wanted to go as far as music, history, and art were concerned.  Knowing myself I had decided that I needed the discipline of organized study when it came to math and science, and the best way to learn both was through engineering.

I didn't get the job, but the story came to me this morning.  I rode the bus and ferry into Seattle with one of Tim and Truly's particularly delightful neighbors, whom they call "The Genius".  He taught himself calculus and trig while he was a bored sophomore and instead of being a junior in high school he is taking accelerated math courses at the University of Washington.  I drew on some long ago classes, as well as my ability to develop an opinion on anything, and had a delightful conversation about arithmetic proofs and the innumeracy of American culture.

I've had a warm glow from it all afternoon.

Comments

tee hee

[michimusic.livejournal.com]

yeah, I never understood other people's motivations in college either. I thought it was about expanding ourselves! Of course, with 7 degree changes and a BS in Interdisciplinary studies, I may have been above average in my expansion to....