Sometimes, it’s so appealing to become a passive entity.
Rather than resist the discomfort of my chronic knee problem, and a newly sprained foot on the same side, I’ll just stay in my pajamas and keep the foot propped on a pillow. I’ll go to the doctor, because I need to in order to obtain a pass to stay at home the next day or two (and have my salary still paid by social security), so I will get dressed. But it will be with the first clothes under my hand.
I’m responding to yet another NIH call for proposals, following the unsurprisingly ill-fated response to the (in)famous Challenge grants. Again, thank goodness for energetic U.S. collaborators who push, actively. I idly wonder what happens if I just drop the effort, don’t finish the forms. We wouldn’t get funded, but as we probably won’t anyhow, what does that change in the big picture?
Same thing for the December renewal of ethics committee approval for future use of human embryonic and fetal tissues. Am I not doing mostly molecular biology and bioinformatics analyses now, anyhow? And didn’t I want to move back into using the chicken embryo model system?
Saturday, I am organizing a six-hour symposium in Vichy, also infamous for a number of reasons, but actually a perfectly decent little 19th-century spa town in the foothills of the Auvergne volcanos. What happens if I don’t set up the afternoon structure, or confirm the room to the speakers? Will it really be less disorganized than usual, because of all sorts of unexpected events ranging from mayors wanting to speak to projectors blowing their bulbs?
Okay, okay. I do know the answers to these rhetorical questions, but they do spur the imagination. Let’s start with the shower and getting dressed. And another coffee, perhaps.
Every other day. Why does there seem to be less time? (And I don’t think I’m as occupied as you read.)
I hear ya – I keep thinking about that for multiple things in my life, especially if no one notices whether I do them or not.
(thinking blog posts…) ;-)
Lee – If I were a Buddhist, which I’m not, I’d say it’s from letting ourselves get overwhelmed by too many desires – I always found that to be an intriguing line of philosophy. We want to get so much done, and are frustrated when it doesn’t all happen when we want it to…
Everyone is occupied. It is amazing how elastic time is – to a point.
You and Stephen are not dissimilar.
Ha! I had not gone through the post, thinking it would be about NASA, and it didn’t pass the “I really need to read this now” test at the time.
I’m highly flattered by the comparison, you know. And agree, as usual, with Stephen’s conclusions. The French work ethic is generally more in that direction. It’s my own work ethic that needs some tweaking, I think.
Oh, I don’t think so, somehow.