Someone had this on their facebook status yesterday. It illustrates beautifully my college visit with my son. We don't necessarily speak the same language in academics. As we toured the electrical engineering department, I listened to only about a third of what the professor said, the third I understood. The rest was "all G(r)eek to me." (I had fun with that phrase in my head most of the day.)
We were on the tour with one other boy and his dad, "a recovering electronic engineer" as he put it. Professor Green laughed and said, "You never fully recover." And, he hadn't. (I had fun with that name, too. "It was Professor Green in the hall with the soddering gun.") Those two talked RFs (radio frequency) and connectors and gizmos and gadgets (see they lost me early) the whole tour. I was admiring the old-fashioned power board they had displayed in the hallway, made of wood, with the dial knobs. It was cool. Made me think of the old-time telephone switchboards. Professor Green was excited about his department. He showed us the labs, introduced us to his students who were in the study space just for engineers. He pointed out that the cooperation between students and personal interest from instructors (that impressed me.) When he brought us into one lab, a grad student was soddering some wires and boxes. The other dad asked about the equipment. I said that I noticed someone had wired up an old etcha-sketch. I wondered what they had it do. It's red frame really stood out in a room full of black and grey.
The grad student in the next room was working on a way to read corrosion on military vehicles, ships, etc., so that they won't have to repaint them so often. Thus, saving money. I complimented him on having such healthy plants at his desk, especially since there aren't any windows in that room. In fact, the electrical engineering department is rather dark, shades drawn, notes to turn off the lights when you leave the room. They're filled with wires and connectors and boxes and lots and lots of computers. I felt like a fish out of water.
I had to keep reminding myself that we were all made differently. We all have our own unique sets of gifts and talents. We don't all speak the same language around the world or in what we do. We are all creative, seeking ways to make the world a better place in our own way.
Thank God.
What a grand plan that was, to make us all so different, yet able to work together. We come with our varied gifts, offering what we do best to build up our community, honoring each other, thanking each other, and living the life we were intended to live.
Go. Create. Inspire! (In your own unique way)
Journaling Prompt: List all your gifts and talents. Then, list those of someone who seems quite different from you.
