I have been enjoying my work very much over the last little while. I am working on an interesting (hard) new problem that will take our product to the next level. I am quite pleased that they actually pay me to do this. It is a little more challenging with a nasty cold hanging on, but DayQuil Cold and Flu is amazingly effective at helping me work through the congestion and other symptoms. My only frustration is that there are not enough hours in the day to do all the things that interest me. The older I get, the sadder I am that I did not keep my nose to the grindstone more when I was younger, both as a student and as a young engineer.
Leonardo da Vinci said, “I have offended God and mankind because my work didn’t reach the quality it should have.” He also said, “I have wasted my hours.”
Even though what I am doing is trivial in comparison to the accomplishments of someone like da Vinci, I very much sympathize with the sentiments. The funny deal is that he really understood the life of an engineer. He lived from 1452 to 1519, but he precisely captured what I do for a living when he said, “Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.” What a great guy. It surely does not seem like he was too full of himself. I wish I could be more like that.
Time is the currency of heaven. Spend it well.
Hear, hear!
The thing about Leonardo, you see, is that he was interested in SO many things and didn’t really focus on one thing in particular, so it seems he flitted from interesting thing, to interesting thing. He didn’t finish but a fraction of the stuff he started. I was very sorry to learn that much of his extensive journal was lost. He was an absolutely facinating man. We have been to the Da Vinci Experience which is a traveling show of replica’s of his work and I spent the entire time reading every explanation and taking tons of pictures. Did Christian study about Leonardo when he was doing research for his weapons of warfare paper? His contraptions were very progressive for his time.
My girls, for their engineering class, Principles of Engineering, have to make a balsa wood bridge (I am not sure of the dimensions) and test it to see how much of a load it can withstand. I am suggesting that they try to design one (on a much smaller scale) like the one Leonardo designed that could be set up and dismantled, thus allowing the army to take the bridge with them.
Ruthie
Thanks for the nice post Ruthie. Are your girls in college? The project they are doing was the freshman level design project for the civil engineers at Oregon State U. when I went there back in the 70’s. It sounds like a great class and something I would like to do with Christian. As for Da Vinci, we studied him in our tour of world history both with Kelly and Christian. He was so fascinating we read extra about him. He was truly an amazing man. I am not sure if Christian looked into his work during his weapons research report, but that will be a fun question to ask him! I have heard of the Da Vinci Experience and envy all of you for having been there. I hope it comes our way sometime.
Ken,
No, my girls are in highschool (9th and 12th). They get to take this class with the a charter school that caters to kids who are taught at home. They offer a few really neat classes at the academic site. Gateway to Technology is a junior high class they offer and Project Lead The Way’s Principles of Engineering is for any interested highschoolers. They made a rat trap car for their last project. My son, 8th grade, is working with Fischertecknic parts and Robo pro as well as learning about pneumatics and hydraulics both classes are VERY hands on. My 6th grader will join GTT next year, and will hopefully be able to take advantage of these cool classes all the way through highschool.
My Dad is taking a class at the community college learning “c” language (does that even make sense? As I told you before, he is a 70+ electrical engineer who has single handedly assisted all his grandchildren pass all their math classes! Hi is enjoying himself very much.
Ruthie
That sounds like an awesome program. I remember you talking earlier about your dad. He sounds like a great guy. I am wildly impressed that he is taking on C at 70+ years. He must be an engineer’s engineer. I live in C/C++ doing robotic programming every day, so I can really appreciate the joy derived from working on ANY engineering project, but especially robotics like your son!
As far as work goes, I am convinced that it is a gift from the Lord.
We are having what I am calling “the phenomenon” here in Sacramento. My kids actually think that I am crazy because it is in my thoughts constantly as we drive around. The weather here has been cold, but devoid of wind or rain. We have experienced a little drizzle here and there, but no blowing rain storms.
This has led to what I have affectionately called “the phenomenon”. The leaves have had extra time on the trees because of the mild weather (mild, meaning no major rain or wind storms), and have had an extended time to transform and show their magnificent colors. Because there has been no wind to speak of, when the leaves finally drop of their own accord, they waft downward and land beneath the canopy of the tree. Usually, there are rain and wind storms that force the leaves off the trees before they are allowed to show their full splendor, and because the wind has knocked them off, leaves of many different trees linger together on the ground, and sometimes, even, you can find a leaf to which there is NO tree in the neighborhood that would claim it. But, “the phenomenon” has left each tree with its own leaves beneath itself, without mixing with the leaves of any other tree. It almost looks like someone used a leave blower and blew all the leaves back under the canopy of their respective trees. So, aspen trees that have yellow leaves, have only yellow leaves surrounding the trunk, etc. And if you have a row of the same type of tree, there will be leaves under one tree, then a break of grass without leaves, and then another tree with its leaves directly below its own canopy. Very Stepford Wifish, if you know what I mean. I have never seen it before. It is pretty amazing. To tell you the truth though, I am not sure if anyone else even sees or notices it. I guess it is for me alone! Yipee! Yes, I am weird.
I am truly thankful for my work, too. As for the other, it sounds very cool. That you noticed “the phenomena” is just as interesting as “the phenomena” itself. It would be very cool to see that. I tried to google it, but couldn’t find anything. As for the weather, I am pleased and amazed with the weather in the Triangle area of North Carolina, but (as you are probably well aware), it does not take much of a weather improvement to please someone from Oregon’s Willamette Valley!
I shouldn’t have said that Leonardo “flitted”, but rather was driven, or compelled to move from thing, to thing, to thing….time just didn’t allow for the full expression of all he contained in his brain.
I will try to email pics of “the phenomenon”. That is, if any of the ones I took show what I am talking about.
That would be great on the pic! I laughed about that “flitted” thing. I have been accused of that myself–although my wife keeps me a lot more focused than before we were married.