Paul Simms wrote an interesting article in the New Yorker today.
It reminded me a little of my roommate, who has come home from her different work assignments each week with a new crush: on one of the other interns, an associate, or - once - her new manager. And each week, the crush fades away as she hears him talk about his girlfriend, his wife, or new baby. There is always the same initial giddiness as she describes the new person to me, the same thoughtfulness as she wonders if he's interested in her as well. Then there is the sigh of acceptance when she tells me that yet another one is "already taken." Despite these disappointments, she persists in having these crushes week in and week out. It's amazing perseverance actually.
And yet, it makes me wonder. Why do her crushes rarely work out? Are all of the good ones really taken or should she spend more time looking around before falling into a crush?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Coming back to a company you've interned at before is a lot more comfortable than you'd initially imagine. You feel like you've changed so much in the last 8-9 months , so many things have happened in your life...and of course that must be the same with the people you worked with, the projects you focused on! Surely everything will be completely different, surely no one will remember me or the work that I did...right?
It's crazy to me how little things can change. How the same idea that was the priority a year ago is the priority now - despite the fact that you spent an entire summer working on it! Of course, it's not exactly the same. The format has changed. The technical aspect of accomplishing the task will be different. But essentially, at the very core of the work, it is identical to what you acomplished a year earlier. But! You scream inside. But! I'm different. Why am I doing the same things?!
Random things will stop you every so often. You know you mentioned a boyfriend last summer. So when you say "my boyfriend" this summer, how many people even consider that it might be (is!) a different person? Is it weird that within a year you've dated 2 different people?
The nice thing about coming back is getting thrown straight into work. Even if it is eerily similar to what you finished last summer. There's no more waiting. No HR session that lasts most of the day. No boss saying, "Why don't you go ahead and head home? There'll be plenty of time to get started tomorrow." Of course, there's still no computer. And for some reason, the tech guys don't understand that, no, you really can't remember the passwords you haven't used since last summer. They sent you emails telling you the passwords were expiring? Really. You weren't around, so can they please reset ALL of them so you can log in to the computer and read those emails? Only to have to call them 20 minutes later.
The more things change...the more they stay the same.
It's crazy to me how little things can change. How the same idea that was the priority a year ago is the priority now - despite the fact that you spent an entire summer working on it! Of course, it's not exactly the same. The format has changed. The technical aspect of accomplishing the task will be different. But essentially, at the very core of the work, it is identical to what you acomplished a year earlier. But! You scream inside. But! I'm different. Why am I doing the same things?!
Random things will stop you every so often. You know you mentioned a boyfriend last summer. So when you say "my boyfriend" this summer, how many people even consider that it might be (is!) a different person? Is it weird that within a year you've dated 2 different people?
The nice thing about coming back is getting thrown straight into work. Even if it is eerily similar to what you finished last summer. There's no more waiting. No HR session that lasts most of the day. No boss saying, "Why don't you go ahead and head home? There'll be plenty of time to get started tomorrow." Of course, there's still no computer. And for some reason, the tech guys don't understand that, no, you really can't remember the passwords you haven't used since last summer. They sent you emails telling you the passwords were expiring? Really. You weren't around, so can they please reset ALL of them so you can log in to the computer and read those emails? Only to have to call them 20 minutes later.
The more things change...the more they stay the same.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
But first, an introduction
What's in a name? Matt was starting his blog a few weeks ago and asked for a suggestion for a name. My immediate thought was "Fish Out of Water," but I realized that was more appropriate for something that I would write. He may feel the same way sometimes, but I'm more of a fish. That left him searching for a blog name and me with a name but a distinct lack of creative thought as to what to do with it.
Having a name became a nagging issue - wasn't that supposed to be the hardest part? Was it only a stroke of good fortune? I'd been meaning to start writing again, at least for the short term, to exercise the right side of my brain. I don't delude myself into thinking that I have anything to say that many other people would care about, but maybe a few of my thoughts will interest some. And if not, at least it'll be a welcome distraction from the daily grind of engineering.
So the goals of this blog are simple: provide an outlet for any writing impulse I may have, a corner of the internet where I may talk about living and working and trying to sort out what it is my life is going to be. Adjust to the feeling of being a fish out of water or somehow work my way back to a pond.
Having a name became a nagging issue - wasn't that supposed to be the hardest part? Was it only a stroke of good fortune? I'd been meaning to start writing again, at least for the short term, to exercise the right side of my brain. I don't delude myself into thinking that I have anything to say that many other people would care about, but maybe a few of my thoughts will interest some. And if not, at least it'll be a welcome distraction from the daily grind of engineering.
So the goals of this blog are simple: provide an outlet for any writing impulse I may have, a corner of the internet where I may talk about living and working and trying to sort out what it is my life is going to be. Adjust to the feeling of being a fish out of water or somehow work my way back to a pond.
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