Science and the Oscars

As some of you know, and others don't, the Academy Awards have a special place in my life. Not only does it remind me of the many hours I spent working at a Blockbuster Video. Yes, there used to be actual brick and mortar stores that rented videos to customers. They even had VHS...these are tapes. I was there for the transition to DVDs. Anyways...I digress.

The Oscars serve as a yearly reminder to me that I'm able to walk, because of God. In God's infinite wisdom, science was created, and all of the tools at the doctors' disposal were used to repair my back. So, I'm going to give you a few of the reasons that I love science, and The Martian.

I love that we live in the time of the large hadron collider. If you don't know what it is, Google: large hadron collider. This amazing machine is a 27km tunnel composed of superconducting magnets that allows scientists to measure and observe the smallest particles that humans have seen. Essentially, they're looking for what could resemble the big bang, and what the, for lack of a better word, Force is. "The Force is what binds the galaxy together." - Ben Kenobi

A little over 2 weeks ago scientists observed the effects of 2 black holes colliding in space over 1 billion light years away from Earth. What the scientists observed confirmed another piece of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, that gravity acts more like waves than was previously thought. Stephen Hawking has said that this provides us with a new way of looking at the universe. Maybe this will provide us with the information we need to embark upon light travel, and visit other planets or galaxies...see Interstellar.

The last line of The Martian is: "At some point, everything's gonna go south on you... everything's going to go south and you're going to say, this is it. This is how I end. Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That's all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem... and you solve the next one... and then the next. And If you solve enough problems, you get to come home." Science allows us to solve problems. Keep solving problems. Don't get distracted.

God has set all of this in motion. I'm curious to see where it leads. We have immense knowledge at our disposal to provide water to the thirsty, explore the expansive universe, shelter the refugee, heal the sick, and restore the hurting. Science is a tool at our disposal, and we should continue to be mystified by how much we don't know.

Here's the first 'full-view' photo of Earth from space. Ponder that for a moment.

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/wallpaper/photography/photos/milestones-space-photography/earth-full-view/

7 Years Ago The Oscars Aired, And...

The Oscars serve as a yearly reminder to me. Not because I love to celebrate and watch the Oscars, but because it reminds me of a defining moment in my life.

7 years ago, I was millimeters away from being paralyzed. I don't know what my life would've looked like had that happened. I am happy to know what it looks like now.

I made the terrible decision to embark on a night of drinking that would lead to drunk driving and a nearly fatal car accident. The memories which pierce the haze of that night are still with me today. Scars remind me everyday of the brilliant doctors who had a part in enabling me to be who and where I am today.

A few weeks ago, my Sunday School teacher asked, "Are there any failures in your life that you celebrate?" I gave a hearty chortle, and proceeded to talk about my car accident for the umteenth time in that group.

I've pondered that question several times since it was asked. I have the same answer every time that I think about it. Yes, I do celebrate this. Yes, I do think that it's a failure. Yes, I am thankful for it. Yes, it molded me. Yes, I think about it often, usually daily. It brings a myriad of emotions to mind, but I think that mostly I am thankful for it.

Recently, I've thought about the wreck in this vein of thought. What will I tell my daughter about the biggest failure in my life?

First, I will share my failures with her. I want her to know my failures and successes. I don't want her to know some whitewashed version of my life. I am who I am today, because of the successes and failures. Also, I will remind her that even daddy makes mistakes, and will be quick to apologize and try to live without ego.

Second, I will share the importance of decision making and that choices have consequences. It's easy to make choices, but it's difficult to make the right choice all of the time. I made bad choices in many areas of my life at the time, and I will make some bad choices throughout life. However, I have and will continue to learn from them with the hopes of not making the same mistakes.

Third, I will share in her failures and be with her on her life journey. She will know that I am always available to her.

Finally, I will share with her the love that I experienced from family and friends in a great time of need. She will never go a day without it.

These are some of the things that the wreck has taught me this past year. I hope that you know that you are loved and are not alone.