Paths Not Travelled

When I was in high school, I enrolled in an introductory physics class my senior year. I found the class to be boring and meaningless, and could not understand much of what was going on. So, I dropped it. As far as I was concerned, physics had no connection to my future life. I planned to major in biological sciences in college and go into medical research.

I made up my mind that I would attend a religious-based college which my older sister had also attended. I was a scared little girl and knew I would be safe there, although at the time I thought I was being daring by going "away" to school.. Unfortunately, I soon learned that I was once again suffocating in an organized religious experience. I lasted two years, but before the two years were up I had switched my major from biology to English literature - no more daring moves for this scared little girl.

After graduating from the local campus of the state university, I started working in the local public library, not knowing what else to do with my liberal arts English degree.  There, I worked with an amazing librarian who taught me as much as I wanted to learn. I loved my job, and thought I had died and gone to heaven. Then, I discovered science fiction; first, while I was becoming acquainted with the children's section and then when I branched off into the adult collection.  It was fascinating to me, and I suddenly found myself wishing that I had paid more attention to physics in school...because I wantd to know how and why all this could and would happen.

Since then I have read many more science fiction stories and continued on to read as much as I could find, and try to understand, about space, time and the universe. I learned I had taken a wrong path, but ended up in a good place. I met my wonderful husband at that local university, and then gave birth to a beautiful daughter whom I love very much and of whom I am very proud. I'm still reading and learning, and as a result, I've managed to leave behind those beliefs of my childhood.