I think I'm getting old

So i think it might have finally happened...I just might be an adult, though I must admit I'm still not sure. My little sister, just graduated from college and is off to get married in a little more than a month. It seems like just yesterday that she was running around in pig tails being a royal pain in my ass. Now, a young woman who still has a way of being a pain in the ass. I'm just kidding about all that of course...but it will be a good test to see if she reads this or not. In actuality, i'm pretty proud of her and happy for what she's got and where she's going but at the same time, she makes me feel a little behind in life. Like I'm watching the life train pull away from the station and I'm stuck in my lab coat telling the conductor to wait because i'm in grad school. He laughs and the train keeps moving and i'm on the platform hoping to catch the next one. Getting a bit older and yet a bit further behind...I thought it was supposed to be the other way around. Anyways, I've also been a bit sick recently (which rarely happens to me). With a combination of a new gym regimen and an ear infection, I'm probably that only 25 year old that had trouble walking down stairs and couldn't hear a damn thing. I'm doing better now though, and have regained just about all of my hearing (without the aid of the Rx I was given, one's immune system can do marvelous things when given the time). But still, it was a scary forshadow of things to come and at such a tender young age I was brutally unprepared. Of course, I have immense advantage of being able to just try these things out and not have to deal with them on any permamnent basis which is more than I can say for a lot of people.
Switching gears, my lab life is starting to shape up a bit for the summer and next year. It appears that I will be going back down to AR for a few weeks this summer and then to a conference in washington state anothe week. In addition, a new student is going to be volunteering for 15 hours a week over the summer which is great because I will not be alone in the lab, and she can do the things that usually bore me to tears. Also, next year...I few more undergrads to work in the lab with me. I haven't met them yet but hopefully they will be OK. I've heard that one of them did less than spectacular in the intro biochem course...which makes me worry a little bit but hopefully he will turn out OK. Still waiting on a few others that might be interested in working in the lab, which I guess is a good sign that the undergrads I had this year didn't go running back to campus to tell people what an awful person I was to work for. Or maybe they just don't care enough to warn the next generation...either way, my gain. Patrick OUT!!!

4 comments:

Marie said...

Patrick, I may be younger than you, but I don't think you're old nor do I think you've missed some "life train" because your sister is getting married and getting a full-time job before you. It's not like you're just chillin full-time on your parents' dime - you're in a PhD program, for crying out loud. Clearly you're doing something to *better* your future, and that requires sacrifices in the present.

And you're a ripe old - what? 25? Brotha PLEASE. There is no choo-choo taking off leaving you in the dust except the one you've imagined.

- Marie, age 22

Patrick said...

I'm not depressed about my situation or anything. I intended the whole thing to be a little "toungue in cheek" and I guess that didn't quite come across. What it comes down to is that I've picked a particular life path that has thrown challenges I would not have forseen three years ago. Not so much better or worse than any other thing I could have done just very different from what I had expected. What it comes down to I suppose is just getting on a "different" train.

Marie said...

Fair enough - glad to hear that. :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for being proud of me Pat - that means a lot to me :) You bought your tickets yet to visit me in Alabama??

- lil sis Em

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