Wierd Science

This wondrous book about Wesley the Owl is making me trippy...all the way down memory lane.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: scientist. And this book is making me wonder what the hell happened along the way?

As a child I went through career phases. Astronomer for a long time (thanks, Dr. Smith, from Lost in Space), archaeologist (both Indiana Jones and Lena from Summer Lovers), and psychologist (aka Bob Newhart, mainly I think because he was so funny).

Photojournalist was a major contender in college, though technically not a science. But always, always, a writer.

The best thing about studying at Florida Institute of Technology was being around all the geeky scientist types. Never got into the engineering majors (though I lived with one), but the biologists (marine biology was particularly tempting) and other scientists flipped my petrie dish.

One of my favorite jobs fresh out of college was working as a receptionist for a company in Houston, Texas, Tanox Biosystems, and what I actually loved about it was, of course...the scientists. We had one memorable French guy from South Africa who was hilarious (not all scientists have a sense of humor, turns out.)

Back to the book. Owls in particular have always been one of my favorite creatures. So much so, having weirdly identified with their sensitive, loner personas, named myself Dancing Owl at one of T. Harv Ecker's Peak Potentials camps. It was Enlightened Warrior Training Camp it's purpose was to have you face every fear you might have. LOVED it (both the camp and the name). I kept picturing an owl, who btw also take themselves very seriously, dancing around on one foot and making everybody laugh--just not on purpose. Which is kind of the story of my life.

This very funny book has brought on a flood of memories and turned on the scientist wannabe nature in me, and so in my next life, I want to be one. Again. I've decided.

Now I just have to narrow it down to which science....