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May 20, 2005
Nostalgia for Things to Come
There's some big, international geology-type conference at the University beginning today. While Dave and I ate dinner we eavesdropped on a conversation between three elderly geologists. I say elderly because they were all retired and seemed to be 70-ish.
The very best part of the conversation was the last bit. It was, apparently, a visiting husband and wife geologist couple who had been "dropped in" upon by a local geologist when he saw them at their table. He was telling them about various activities at the conference and also about local attractions and then described some of the rocks around Lewiston.
Apparently there are leaves from the Meiocene Era that fell into clay and when you break the clay open, you watch the leaves oxidize before your eyes. I thought it sounded fascinating, and so was thrilled to hear them both express pleasure non-verbally. Then the husband said, with a voice filled with enthusiasm, "That sounds like fun. Let's do that."
Dave and I smiled at each other then. After they left, he said, "You know it's not your average couple when the rather diffident invitation ends in the word Meiocene and the invitees get all excited about it."
It's things like that that make me realize I cannot ever allow myself to get too far from academia. I like academics; I like super-intelligent people who realize that knowledge is important for its own sake and who get all excited over watching ancient leaves change color in seconds. People whose curiosity never dies, regardless of their age. I wish I could invite myself along on the trip.
I hope I'm that kind of passionate and interesting when I get to be 70-ish. And that there are still people around who eavesdrop on my conversations with Dave and love the fact that we get excited about these things.
Posted by sally at May 20, 2005 09:29 PM
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