The Comet's Flame

A random person smiled at me today.  For no apparent reason.  It was a really genuine smile, and it felt like she was happy to see me even thought she didn’t know me.  That totally made my day.

But as I got to thinking about it, I started questioning why that meant so much to me.  I think that the sad truth is that random kindness is exceedingly rare.  What’s even sadder is that I rarely show that type of kindness.

I hope that I can become a person who brightens up people’s day with a friendly smile or a kind word.

After working for a few months at my co-op position, I already miss being in school.  Actually, I miss the whole academic atmosphere in general… I have been unpleasantly surprised by how difficult (and boring) it is for me to sit in my cubicle for 8 hours every day during the week.  I mean, the pay is good, and the work is interesting and enjoyable, but I just feel so useless in the grand scheme of things.  I can’t see how my work is directly helping anyone (other than a huge corporate machine).  Honestly, I don’t want to make a career out of that — I’m not willing to devote the majority of my waking hours to this (or any) corporation.

Thus, I think I’ve decided that I want to pursue a career in academia (i.e. a position as a professor of electrical engineering).  I think that I would feel much better about a job that involved personal growth and learning (i.e. research) and ample opportunities to be a positive influence in the lives of students (i.e. teaching).

So I’m applying to graduate schools and trying to finish up my co-op position.  In December (when the co-op ends), I’m planning to go back to my University jobs.  Those jobs are flexible enough that I will actually have time to finish up my last semester of school and get decent grades.  I might move back home as well.  It’s lonely living by myself.

Strangely enough, I’m excited about the prospect of another four years of school.  I feel like I missed out on what could have been a good experience the first time around.  It seems that I spent my undergraduate years whining about how difficult life was, when in reality, God was consistently giving me blessings that I totally overlooked.  So, I’m glad to have another chance to get it right this time.

Today I applied to the Electrical Engineering Ph.D. program at Princeton University.  Typically, they accept 1 in 7 applicants.  So I have a 14% chance of getting in!  Not bad!  I’ve also applied to Northwestern University (in Chicago), and I’ll be applying to lots of other good schools in the area, so hopefully I’ll get in somewhere.

Well, I’ve been running and/or walking outdoors semi-regularly this week.  I ran a mile tonight, and I didn’t feel like I was going to die when I got home!  So perhaps I’m on my ways towards getting into shape.  The apartment complex where I live has a fitness center with treadmills and maybe an elliptical machine.  So perhaps as the weather starts getting colder, I can do some exercising indoors as well.

Also, I feel like I should give another shout-out to Asics GEL running shoes.  Not only are they extremely comfortable and functional, but they are available in a host of cool (and even retro) styles.  My brother has become a believer in the awesomeness of Asics, and you should too!

You can check out the slideshow of my family’s vacation, or just check out the abbreviated version below.

Yesterday, I went shopping at the Jordan Creek Mall in Des Moines with my brother Josiah and my sister Moriah.  I bought a cast-iron tea set that I really like (I brewed some blueberry white tea in it today, and it works rather nicely).  We all had a fun time browsing various clothing stores, etc.

On the way home, we listened to the album Viva La Vida by one of Moriah’s favorite bands, Coldplay.  It was my first real exposure to Coldplay.  The song “Lovers in Japan / Reign of Love” is just absolutely magical.  Four minutes into the song, the mood completely changes, and a simple but hauntingly beautiful tune emerges from the ever-present synth backdrop.  If that song doesn’t bring a little bittersweet tear to your eye, I don’t know what will.

So that’s a short summary of our evening.  Like I said, it was great.  I am so thankful for my siblings.  They are the best.

My family and I watched an interesting episode of Star Trek Voyager last night.  It was called “False Prophets.”  In this episode, Kes receives a seemingly-fatal electric shock after unknowingly approaching a sacred shrine.  The monks of the shrine inform Voyager’s crew that Kes will die because she has angered the “spirits.”  Captain Janeway is told that the only way to save Kes is to complete a sacred ritual and ask the spirits to be merciful.

Janeway, being the rational starship captain that she is, does not believe in the whole “spirits” thing.  But she goes through the motions of the sacred ritual, hoping to gain some insight into the “reality” of the situation.  She soon realizes that the ritual was completely meaningless… the required actions had been tailored to meet her expectations.  She had expected the ritual to include physical challenges, so it did.

Finally she understands that none of her hard work is helping, and she decides to approach the spirits with faith that they will answer her request.

Isn’t that just like people here in the real world?  Oswald Chambers’ devotional for today talks about the tendency of people to want to work to gain God’s favor.  Many times we make the Christian life way too complicated by filling it will all sorts of “sacred rituals.”

But really, all that God wants is for us to “come unto Him” with simple faith.  I hope that I can start doing that.

It feels like winter is approaching!  I turned on the heat in my apartment yesterday.  Now I am nice and cozy, except for when I have to venture out.

As you may have noticed, I have virtually no body fat.  I should probably try to gain a bit of weight so that I don’t freeze to death.  It’s really annoying/embarrassing to be walking around wearing a stocking cap in early October.  I just know that people are looking at me and chuckling to themselves as they imagine my mom bundling me up for fear that I might catch cold.

Leo Kottke is the man who got me interested in music.  Years ago, my dad brought home an ancient VHS tape from the library featuring instrumental performances by several guitarists.  I had never heard any of the names listed on the cover, and I thought it was just going to be another lame “teach yourself guitar” sort of thing.  Boy was I wrong.

This was music like I had never heard before (i.e. it actually sounded good)!  Enigmatic mountain-men and hippies effortlessly played bluesy riffs juxtaposed with moving melodies, all with a sort of syncopated finger-picking style.  I discovered the likes of Jorma Kaukonen (of Jefferson Airplane fame), Preston Reed, and John Fahey.

Then Leo Kottke started playing his song “Airproofing” on a 12-string, and I was just in awe.  It sounded like music from another dimension!  I watched the video about a billion times, and then I went and acquired a copy of Leo’s first album, Six and Twelve String Guitar, and listened to that about a billion times.  I got out my mom’s old guitar and tried to duplicate some of Mr. Kottke’s music.  Of course, I didn’t do too well (for one thing, I think that that old guitar was inherently bad-sounding), and I eventually decided that playing guitar was just not my thing.  But my love for music (especially Leo’s music) has stuck with me.

That said, I was thrilled to have a chance to go see Leo Kottke in Des Moines with my brother.  It was a great show.  Leo played a few of his newer songs.  Then he played (in his own inimitable style) a beautiful song by Pete Seeger.  I wish I could remember what it was called. He talked about a debate he attended in the 60′s at Berkley between John Fahey and Pete Seeger regarding the role of politics in music.  Pete Seeger is, as you might know, an outspoken political activist, so you can guess what his side was.  John Fahey argued that politics is too boring.

It was a very entertaining and eventful performance.  Perhaps my brother can write more about it.

Ahoy mateys, it be International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Ye best be talking and/or dressing like a pirate!

Since this day be Friday, Pirate Day lasts all weekend.

I just read a beautiful bittersweet article by one of my favorite bloggers.  It’s probably the best thing that I’ve read on the internet this year.  Check it out.