blue angels overhead...

[gayathri]

its fleet week in SF - http://www.military.com/fleetweek and the blue angels are flying overhead. I'm inside and can only hear and feel those machines shake our windows...

and a small (maybe not so small part) of me is sad.

I spent 10 years working for the one place that really met my dreams as an engineer, and I  _never_ did any engineering there. I'm not a rocket scientist. Plus, for the kind of engineering I wanted to do, the 1st jobs out there were all building weapons of mass destruction. All the job offers I've ever had in the industry started out in making things that kill other people's children.

Ever since I was a little kid, I remember looking at airplanes and being in love with the _idea_ of them, of the concept of flight, of a machine built to take me off the ground and take me someplace else.

So the Blue Angels fly overhead, and I'm a little sad that I didnt go to the air force academy, and I didnt become an astronaut like I wanted to. I'm sad I didnt finish as an Aerospace engineer and build planes, or jets, or robots. But I'm not sad that I didnt build missiles, spy sattellites, or other war machines.  I'm certainly not sad that while I didnt work on the actual projects, work I did helped get things to Mars, helped map our oceans, helped take pictures of stars far far away.

I still love planes tho, I love jets, I love things that go fast and are purpose built for it.

*idly doodles more motorcycle frames*

Comments

[blue-estro.livejournal.com]

*blink* *blink* I am procrastinating by reading friendsfriends and came across your post.

I think you are the Gayathri that Tim (a decade later and still dearly missed) used to tell me stories about.

If so, mirthful salutations, and all that stuff. :}

(My favorite part of Fleet Week has always been the Blue Angels practicing during the work-days prior)

[gayathri.livejournal.com]

Is it terrible if I ask "tim who?" - dearly missed makes me think he passed away, and I cannot think of anyone I knew named Tim who .. um. isnt here anymore.

(Hi back tho! what sorts of stories? Were they fun? Was I nice?)

[blue-estro.livejournal.com]

Tim Klink, who pledged while you were an active. He unexpectedly passed away in 99.

Fun and nice aren't as accurate as "legendary", given that many of them (and it has been over a decade, so I don't remember details) involved less than sober moments at Player's parties. <laughing> Your libido did figure prominently... but generally you were cast as a spirited, unique, and generally awesome person.

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

Boy, I know this one. We're in a club of people who have worked for the same institution and were never rocket scientists ourselves. I'm really glad I had the opportunity, but still... it does make you wistfully sigh.

[(Anonymous)]

seriously! I know what you mean. Well maybe now that space programs are going private you can get a gig with Virgin and make stuff that takes tourists to far-off places, without all that messy entanglement with WMD.

[pinkyracer.livejournal.com]

seriously! I know what you mean. Well maybe now that space programs are going private you can get a gig with Virgin and make stuff that takes tourists to far-off places, without all that messy entanglement with WMD.

[gayathri.livejournal.com]

I know, makes me think about grad school more.