Today was my first day of biology. Dr. Fenster is one of those unique people who is interesting and inspiring to listen to while at the same time having the power to strike utter terror into my heart. I will never be late to one of his classes. Nor will I ever drink from a plastic water bottle in front of him. Thank goodness I don’t smoke, because if I did I would have to quit for fear of him catching me. I’ve never seen anyone that passionate about the dangers of putting toxins in your body.
Something he said really stuck with me this morning. I mean it really stuck with me – more than just piquing my interest for a few minutes. Ironically enough, it had absolutely nothing to do with his lecture or even really the class. He was talking about his cell phone policy (or rather, he was yelling) when he suddenly stopped and looked around and said, “I’ve asked this question in all seriousness to students before, because I really do want to know the answer. I really want to know why it is you’re so obsessed with somewhere you’re not.”
I’ve always prided myself on being (somewhat) less attached to my cell phone than the average person, so of course I sat there smugly thinking about how I’m not at all obsessed with somewhere I’m not. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that deep down I really am relentlessly devoted to places where I am not. When I don’t like how things are going in the present, I comfort myself with the knowledge that the future will be better rather than dealing with the things right in front of me. When I am at school I think about how great things are at home. When I am at home I think about how great things are at school. When I’m with my family I want to be with my friends and when I’m with my friends I want to be with my family. Why? When did it become okay for me to obsess over the places where I am not?
I have a feeling that this summer with Dr. Fenster is going to be slightly crazy, really messy, super busy, and full of random pieces of insight that I won’t be expecting. I’m not sure if he likes me or not (I made the mistake of wearing open-toed shoes to lab, which earned me a look of sheer scorn and a rather loud statement about safety) but no matter what, I’m going to learn a lot from him…even if it is in biology class.
I'm definitely attatched to my cell phone and not in a good way! But even more than that I am ALWAYS wondering when the next even will take place or looking forward to being somewhere else. All day I've been at work and just counting down the hours and minutes until I get to leave. Thanks for sharing. Your professor sounds way more insightful than my macroecon. professor. All I might learn from him is how many different ways to use the words "hell" and "damn". It's going to be a long summer.
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