the plan, and why it’s never too late.
April 13, 2008
Now that I’ve recovered from the plague of the century, I thought it was time to tell you a bit more about what I have in store for this place. Better late than never!
As you know, I love to write inspirational pieces, and that will not change. I believe that is a core part of who I am, and it gives me great pleasure to tell stories that make others think.
My friend Francis once told me I have a knack for explaining technology in a way that anybody could understand it, and he said he’d kick me in the ass if I didn’t start writing about it.
So, not wanting to disappoint him (and fearing his big boots), I will write reviews from time to time about technology that is interesting and useful, and I promise I’ll keep the geek factor low. We need to know how something can help us, not how it was coded or wired together.
Finally, as I’ve been saying for many weeks that it is important to start now, perhaps it would help if there were a “how-to start now” once in a while.
I’ll try to write my reviews and how to articles in a smart, funny way, rather than as bulleted lists, as so many others do. For a great example of this, check out The Ultimate Men with Pens Guide to Twitter.
So without further ado, the week ahead (uh-oh, a bulleted list):
- A story about someone I knew, whose selfless actions continue to inspire me to this very day.
- A short piece on the software I use to write, and why I use it. The first in a series on writing software.
- Bonus – a surprise post about my feet (with a twist – this will be part one of a 6 week series). Don’t worry, this isn’t a fetish thing (hi Kelly)… it will make sense!
The coming weeks:
- A story about my own personal hero. My rock.
- How to make the switch to a Mac, and take your Windows machine with you.
- A 6 week series on how to effect change in your life, on any level.
What do you think?
–
I didn’t want to just leave everyone with a laundry list of what will be “coming soon”, as that’s sort of like reading you the menu and then telling you that you can’t order anything.
I was chatting with Wendi after reading her post Before the Play is Done. She had written about an acquaintance of hers who was still in school at age 97 when she passed away.
I recounted a story of my own, and she suggested I write about the person I knew.
Here is the story, pretty much verbatim from the comment. It is very short, but powerful.
When we stop learning, we stop growing, and we stop sharing. When I started studying engineering 20 years ago, I remember the very first class of my first day.
There was an older woman, probably about 60 years old (she never did say), sitting about middle of the lecture hall. A lot of the students were snickering about the “old lady”. At that time too, engineering was about 75 percent men (not so now, which is a great thing!) so of course there were other jokes too.
I asked her one time if she planned to practice, and she said, “no, she just wanted to study engineering and get a degree”. I thought that was great.
Funny thing is, 4 years later, she graduated, and some of the guys who laughed at her had failed out.
She got a standing ovation at the convocation ceremony. It was wonderful.
Completing my engineering degree was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. If you asked a lot of the people in my graduating class why they chose to study engineering, they would be as likely to say “to get a good job and make a living” as they would be to say “because it is interesting”. And yet, this woman decided she wanted to do it, purely out of personal interest.
Do something because you want to do it, because you believe in it, and you can accomplish anything.
It’s never too late. Make “one day”, today.
I’m looking forward to a great week of reading ahead!.
I wish I could have met the woman from your engineering class. I am sure I would have loved her.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..The Weekend Wrap Up
I’m looking forward to it myself! I feel like I got my “blogging mojo” back, at least as much as I had anyway
I’ve been wondering about her, actually, what happened to her in the years since we’ve graduated. I think I’ll have a look on my alumni web site.
You would have loved her. She was a very nice lady.
Sometimes there is such a thing as too much learning.
I went to school WAY TOO LONG and sometimes I wonder if I permanently burnt myself out.
Too much information overload. Sometimes I just want to turn the “Learning Switch” off and give it a rest. Maybe relax and wallow in my own ignorance for a while until I feel the need to learn again.
I guess that’s what “American Idol” is for.
Friar’s last blog post..Friar’s “Bucket List” for Underachievers
Friar,
I hear you. I guess the way I look at it is, it depends on the subject matter. I probably wouldn’t go back for formal training in engineering or science, but for a lot of my current hobbies and so forth, I can’t get enough.
On the flip side, balance is good and you have to unplug on a regular basis… and watch American Idol
Brett,
When I went to college in the 80s, I was after a time, engaged to an engineer who hated ME classes. I hated all my classes by then so he used to send me, believe it or not (big school, nobody cared who came in and took your notes).
I loved all the things I learned and never got anything out of it but the love. Admittedly, had I also been responsible for the studying and the grades there would have been much less love. (This was not the point….) The thing I remember most besides vague notions of how to bank a curve on a highway ramp, is the utterly evil way many of the “men” in those classes would treat the few women who dared to show up. It was almost like some sort of hazing. You had to be very tough to put up with it, and the few ladies were. My fiance used to tell me the women always got the top marks, and he was sure they studied ten times harder just to make sure they would never be shown up by some of the louts they had to put up with.
I loved your story of the lady in your classes. It takes brass cajones and a fine brain to do what she did, at least back then. I wonder how much (little?) that has changed.
6 Weeks on “feet” ISN’T a fetish thing? I will reserve judgement, though of course I know nothing about such things.
As an unrepentant geek, I will look forward to seeing your techy side.
Glad the DJ is back in fine form.
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: Want Profits? Don’t Be Cruel
Hey Brett,
Looking forward to reading more !
My inner Apple fangirl is jumping around thanks to your “switching” post
Oh, and in my opinion, you really don’t need Windows by your side… excepted to appreciate the switch even more 
Anyway, can’t wait for your next posts
Wiseness, inpiration and geekness are fine by me 
@ Kelly: I’d like to hope that things have changed for women in these courses today. It has to eventually, I know that the program I studied (chemical engineering) tends to be about 60 percent women these days, so perhaps the pendulum might swing the other way and it will be the MEN receiving the hazing for a change.
In any case, that was one smart lady, and that she took a 4-year full time course of study out of love is amazing.
@ Joohliah: I hope that you will like what you see (I’m sure you will!) – if you are already an Apple fangirl, you’ll be able to point at the post I am writing to show people how they can have their cake and eat it too
of course, like a lot of these things, often people switch and then find they need their old software less and less…
I’m all for the techno-stuff! Unfortunately, I will never use a Mac as my PC. Then again, I would never use a Windows machine for a laptop. I enjoy customizing the crap out of my PCs and look forward to having a sweet machine. Too bad that the one I’m on now has been pieced together with spare parts and dreams.
Okay, I’ll confess: it’s not ALL about the specs. The girly side of me is attracted to the pretty lights as well…..
RLD: Taekwondo Happiness’s last blog post..Whoops!
Last year, when I was taking a bunch of physics classes, there was this older man, probably in his 50s or 60s in the class. He always asked the most questions, and although he was a little slower to grasp the concepts than most of the class, you could tell that he was the person who was the most passionate about the subject matter. I had the opportunity to talk to him on several occasions, and he was a very fascinating and inspirational man!
Allison’s last blog post..New York Roll
@ RLD: well, then I’ll have something here for you! Hey, I hear you – my media box is a hand-built PC with blue LED lit fans, running Vista Ultimate (flashy…), right now I have a Dell laptop but I expect to be switching soon
yet I’ll want to take what’s on here along for the ride. Virtual machines are awesome…
Yeah, I like the pretty lights too!
@ Allison: that’s a great story too, because I could see it being me someday. I do have a strong interest in the really wacky side of physics (the 11-dimension stuff appeals to my twisted brain) so maybe I’ll try it some time. Studying something out of love is definitely the way to go…
I’ll have to change my inspirational phrase. I traded in my big boots for suede loafers. So no more big boots, watch out for the sucker punch instead!
I’ve missed a week of your site as I have had and still having to solve the mystery of the randomly rebooting firewall. I really look forward to the geek stuff.
I too knew a “hero” nerd in high school. He died while pulling people from the wreck of a car. The same people who used to tease him. There is however a very happy ending. The two people he saved have become incredibly generous, forgiving and kind people. Because of the event or despite it I’m not sure. But they had the chance to grow because of him.
Francis
P.S. I got the bike out last weekend. Watch out, I’m gonna show up at your door and sucker punch you if you don’t finish all the stuff you said you were going to. Then we’ll have a beer.
Never underestimate the power of suede loafers. I mean, just imagine Bruce Lee wearing suede loafers. Or Chuck Norris. I sure wouldn’t laugh at that…
Yes, I can’t resist any longer… I have to write some geek stuff, hey, it’s in my blood and I know I can write it in a way that people will enjoy and find useful.
Wow, your story is quite interesting. Talk about being selfless.
So, if I don’t write all this stuff, you’ll drive up here, sucker punch me and then have a beer with me? Alrighty then, I’ll just be a lazy bastard and not do anything
oh I’d better keep my word for all these other folks. We can still have the beer, though…
IMHO, physics, and especially QM and special relativity, is the *rockinist* subject ever! I’m taking a class in it now, and I just love it! If I ever went back to school, it would definitely be for theoretical physics. Now, of course, I can’t wait to get out of school, but maybe someday, if I have all sorts of time and money and can find a physics program I like!
Allison’s last blog post..New York Roll
@ Allison: well, it seems to be an area where people are still dreaming. The company where I work used to do cutting edge nuclear physics (I say, “used to do” because research doesn’t pay well enough anymore). It’s a shame… I read about it and it makes me think how cool it must have been to work there in the 60’s, when people did exciting stuff. Today it’s mostly a “paper mill”…
That is a very powerful and inspiring story about the older lady who got her degree. I also like your idea about writing these posts. I’m impressed on where you take your time from to everything you do.
Monika Mundell’s last blog post..A Few Hickups
[...] love everything Brett writes about and his post on The Plan and Why It’s Never Too Late is very [...]
Monika: I’m glad that you liked that story, I’ve actually thought a lot about her in recent days and it encourages me to never stop learning!
Where do I find the time? (Harry’s clone tank!) Seriously, I think out of necessity with our large family, I just have to make every minute count. I find I get more done now than I did when we had no children.
But you know, we all seem to be good at that in our own way. I’m still thinking about how you wrote 25000 words in a week. You are *amazing*!
PS – thanks for the link back too!
I don’t know why, but that story you just told about the old lady brought tears to my eyes.
Thanks for sharing it.
@2ThePoint: I am glad that you enjoyed the story about the engineering lady. I still do wonder whatever happened to her, did she go back to school yet again for another degree…
Thanks for stopping in to say hello.
Wherever she is, Brett, you can bet she’s having fun!
@ 2ThePoint: that much I know is true – she was always smiling