As I prepare to do rewrites/revisions on Incursion, I find myself pondering the choices we make and how they change our life. One element in this novella harkens to a concept I started in Splinter (coming out in November) that every choice we make creates a parallel universe where we made the other decision. It's deep stuff, and theories abound on this. I don't know if parallel universes exist, but if they do then I can't help but think that, instead of being a program assistant and independent author, I'm probably:
1. An electrical engineer. It's hard to believe it's a coicidence that I work in professional licensing for design professionals when my father is an electrical designer and he wanted me to be an engineer. I was good enough at the math and blew trigonometry out of the water, but I didn't go that route because my spatial skills suck and I knew I'd fail at drafting and design. The technical skills were there but alas, the necessary artistic element bent more toward writing than designing and so, I gave up on that path. And believe me, Dad finds it hilarious that I decided to forsake a career in engineering to have a career in licensing them. Irony? Definitely. Coiencidence? I'm not so sure, but I'm pretty sure it means that I'm an electrical engineer in a parallel universe somewhere out there where the technical and artistic elements did merge to make me into a person like the ones I license every day.
2. A therapist or psychologist. This was my original life plan, before an independent study my senior year in college revealed a talent for administrative work and marriage closely followed. I did lose interest in this when I realized that my degree in psychology was helping me in every area of my life, and that helping people didn't necessairly mean that I had to get them on a couch complaining about problems they might or might not really want to solve every week. Plus, I did see a therapist for a while during my major life transition a few years back, and it made me realize that I probably took the wiser choice by going administrative instead of taking her place in the chair, because every person you deal with is angry and bitter over something and they resent having to be there to fix it. At least in administrative work the "dodge the red tape" types are more rare and most of the people you deal with are on the straight and narrow path and WANT to do the right thing the first time. In fact, I quit going to the therapist because I felt we were beating a dead horse, it was time to move on, and I wasn't doing it from that darn couch. But I'm sure there's a universe out there where I stayed the course and made mental health my career. I just wonder if I really like it, or if I'm pondering if there's a universe where I went administrative and wonder if I'm happy here. Hmm. Now that IS an interesting paradox to ponder!
3. A geologist. This would probably surprise a lot of people, but I love geology. I only took one course in it in college, but I wish I took more beause the study of the earth fascinates me. Somewhere, out there in a parallel universe, I'm boring holes and digging through the dirt, fascinated by what it's revealing to me about the planet. Yes, a whacky scientist does somewhat fit me, even if it's not in this world.
There are a lot of people that think I should have been a bird breeder, and in fact would be one if I hit the jackpot someday, but actually I wouldn't consider it. I love birds and Zack, Chloe and Ollie are great, but having them as pets is where my skill ends. I have no medical talent or expertises AT ALL, and the concept of breeding and raising young birds is too much and frankly, not something I'd be cut out for. I love them, but I have enough sense to know what I'm not good at - which, in fact, might be a good topic for another blog entry on another day.
So, what are you in a parallel universe? Is it very different from what you are now, or somewhat the same? Did you stay the planned path or not - or did you even have one? This, my friends, is the stuff that great fiction is created from.
That's all today. Enjoy your weekend.
Bye!
1. An electrical engineer. It's hard to believe it's a coicidence that I work in professional licensing for design professionals when my father is an electrical designer and he wanted me to be an engineer. I was good enough at the math and blew trigonometry out of the water, but I didn't go that route because my spatial skills suck and I knew I'd fail at drafting and design. The technical skills were there but alas, the necessary artistic element bent more toward writing than designing and so, I gave up on that path. And believe me, Dad finds it hilarious that I decided to forsake a career in engineering to have a career in licensing them. Irony? Definitely. Coiencidence? I'm not so sure, but I'm pretty sure it means that I'm an electrical engineer in a parallel universe somewhere out there where the technical and artistic elements did merge to make me into a person like the ones I license every day.
2. A therapist or psychologist. This was my original life plan, before an independent study my senior year in college revealed a talent for administrative work and marriage closely followed. I did lose interest in this when I realized that my degree in psychology was helping me in every area of my life, and that helping people didn't necessairly mean that I had to get them on a couch complaining about problems they might or might not really want to solve every week. Plus, I did see a therapist for a while during my major life transition a few years back, and it made me realize that I probably took the wiser choice by going administrative instead of taking her place in the chair, because every person you deal with is angry and bitter over something and they resent having to be there to fix it. At least in administrative work the "dodge the red tape" types are more rare and most of the people you deal with are on the straight and narrow path and WANT to do the right thing the first time. In fact, I quit going to the therapist because I felt we were beating a dead horse, it was time to move on, and I wasn't doing it from that darn couch. But I'm sure there's a universe out there where I stayed the course and made mental health my career. I just wonder if I really like it, or if I'm pondering if there's a universe where I went administrative and wonder if I'm happy here. Hmm. Now that IS an interesting paradox to ponder!
3. A geologist. This would probably surprise a lot of people, but I love geology. I only took one course in it in college, but I wish I took more beause the study of the earth fascinates me. Somewhere, out there in a parallel universe, I'm boring holes and digging through the dirt, fascinated by what it's revealing to me about the planet. Yes, a whacky scientist does somewhat fit me, even if it's not in this world.
There are a lot of people that think I should have been a bird breeder, and in fact would be one if I hit the jackpot someday, but actually I wouldn't consider it. I love birds and Zack, Chloe and Ollie are great, but having them as pets is where my skill ends. I have no medical talent or expertises AT ALL, and the concept of breeding and raising young birds is too much and frankly, not something I'd be cut out for. I love them, but I have enough sense to know what I'm not good at - which, in fact, might be a good topic for another blog entry on another day.
So, what are you in a parallel universe? Is it very different from what you are now, or somewhat the same? Did you stay the planned path or not - or did you even have one? This, my friends, is the stuff that great fiction is created from.
That's all today. Enjoy your weekend.
Bye!
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