Simplicity

A while back I saw a post on facebook suggesting people not to complicate life by following some simple guidelines and then it ended up by saying "It is that simple".  Then a whole discussion started about how life itself is complicated, and even if you follow these things, the outcome might not be as expected,  concluding there is no simplicity in doing those tasks.  I confirmed by saying yes, it is constant hard work yet deep down thinking the suggested steps were really simple to do (e.g. calling someone if you miss them, telling them you love them if you do, inviting people if you want to see them, etc.).

Last week I took a project management training, teaching us guidelines for tackling huge projects, one step at a time, eating an elephant one piece at a time.  It was in the middle of that training that a sentence clicked and made me realize both my friend and I were correct in our previous discussion: "Simple is not easy".

Just because something is simple, it does not mean it is easy.  A huge milestone may be achieved by taking hundreds of steps, each of those steps might be very easy tasks, the whole thing might be very simple, not requiring an innovative solution, a breakthrough, and maybe even not much expertise, but doing them all in order, in time, within budget, to achieve that milestone requires discipline, perseverance, planning,  and most importantly actually doing each task.  Simple means the recipe, the algorithm, the steps are well defined, clear, and  achievable.  Achieving that milestone might in fact be very difficult and hard while each required task for achieving it, as well as the whole thing, might be very simple to do.  For example, walking is a simple task.  Everyone knows how to do it.  Walking 40 miles in 1-2 days, still requires doing a very simple task, over and over.  It is simple, but not easy.  Simple is not easy!

There is another way to read that sentence too.  Keeping things simple, being simple, not adding complications, is not easy either.  "Simple" itself is not easy!

Social incentives

It is crazily hot and humid here. I went out to run some errands. Surprisingly, I enjoyed having enough time to do some mundane tasks at leisure: get battery for my watch, buy tooth paste, water, other ordinary house stuff, and most importantly pay a visit to the local library! I realized how much I had missed it. After having listened to an audio book last week during my commute to work and back ( which I will write about later), I decided I should go back to library and check out and read one audio book a week at least this way. That is the only way my commute time will be spent well, other than the usual listening to NPR or catching up with friends on the phone (Disclaimer: hands free with speakers, if you think this is a good idea and want to do the same ;-) ). Plus, who was I kidding? Why was I so stubborn wanting to read paper books that are collecting dust in my shelves and I can hardly find the time to open (I still have hope for travel time on planes though). Anyways, I am digressing. On my way out, in my neighborhood's shopping center I saw a couple of men at intersections holding signs, which were ads for two close by shops. I thought how inhumane it was to have them do this. Stand in such a hot weather in middle of traffic to advertise there is such and such store in the corner? Could not they post the signs on a pole or board?  I passed them by and went to my destinations and hours later when I was coming back, they were still there. I dread walking to and from my car for that short distance. Do they get water or  ice? Are not there labor laws for some minimum working conditions? Are they being paid off the record and is what those stores are doing illegal? Worse, even if someone complains, would not this deprive those workers of probably the only job and income they could get? I mean, who wants to do this?  They really must need the money and have no other means of income.

I come home with these thoughts fresh in my mind.  I turn on the TV to catch up with some news.  A bunch of commentators and lawyers are discussing conditions of prisoners in some jail in Texas.  Apparently, due to lack of power and extreme heat there, the temperature in jails there had become above 100F.  They were discussing whether that condition established unnecessary hardship or some sort of torture and inhumane and illegal way of dealing with prisoners.  I could not help thinking that those prisoners were in a better condition than those workers in my neighborhood.  They had a roof above their head, which they did not have to pay for, they were being fed, and more importantly, they were under the roof's shade and had lawyers making a case for them.  Those workers were under direct hot sun in humid weather, with no one speaking up on their behalf, in the middle of the street, without water, food, or toilet.  Something was wrong with this picture.  There was more incentive to be in jail than to earn an honest living through hard work!

As if this was not enough, I went to a friend's house for a dinner gathering later that night.  People were sharing how they survived last week's storm, whether or not they lost power and for how long, etc.  Someone said in her neighborhood there was an animal shelter that did not have power for days.  They asked people in neighborhood if they could each sponsor a cat or a dog during the power outage due to extreme heat.  Cats and dogs in the shelter were also protected against extreme heat (which is a good thing by the way).

I could not stop thinking "something is wrong with this picture"!

It is time!

I had lunch with dear Barb.  She wanted her summer student to meet me, learn about my career path, and my experiences at my Alma mater.  Barb was doing it all over again with the new girl in town :-) There she was, a tiny petite freshman girl in computer science and aerospace engineering, and Barb was telling her how I got all my degrees from her school.  I felt so old in front of her.  Also, I realized more than before how I did not have an adventurous career path until now that I was considering a couple of new opportunities.  The truth is I never got bored.  The projects and applications varied through out the years and I never stopped learning new things and growing within my position.  Barb reassured me the reason she has to change often is that she cannot "focus" on research and technical work the way I can; Otherwise, she would have loved to stay in one position.  Systems engineering matched her personality better.  Learning about all components and systems of a project and making sure they all work together well.

"Focus"!  Yeah, that is it!  There was a time I could focus.  Focus long and for many hours.  Code and solve problems tirelessly.  Now the right mood has to strike, and the right mood has to last long enough;  At least I still can focus at times;  I have a feeling these days are numbered.  I keep day dreaming, or just dreaming, dreaming big.  It is time for making big things happen and telling others how to make them happen.  I feel it is time for me to be a project manager, a leader, and not just a researcher and executor; Not because this is the time in my career I should do it, but because I feel it in my bones; I feel the energy and the need to do bigger things.  The time is right!

Funny turn of events

Universe has a sense of humor.  I have always had Windows laptop and computers.  I wanted to treat myself to a nice gift. For the first time, I decide to switch and order myself an iPad and then what happens? First, I track the shipment. I see it is coming all the way from China and I recall the article on Apple's labor abuses there. Yes, almost anything these days is made in China, but I really did not like seeing the FedEx tracking system literally showing it was being shipped from there. At least they could have packaged and assembled the parts here or something! Then, before I receive the darn product, the news about them not selling an iPad or iPhone in some cases to Iranian-Americans comes out.  I have not yet received the thing and I already do not want to own it. 

God help with the babies!
p.s. A friend of mine took this picture in New York.

Our invisible celebreties

After a weekly meeting, I came down to the lobby of the building I was at, to grab some lunch.  I am waiting in line, and right behind me is a tall middle aged man.  I thought about how humbly and invisibly he is going about his day.  With a back pack on his shoulder, getting lunch, just like me and so many others who work here.  I thought about if he was a famous singer or actor, how the general public and media would not let him walk a block freely unnoticed, and how he was walking around unnoticed.

I paid for my lunch, and was walking away from cafeteria towards the door;  He was still walking behind me.  I could not let him get away unnoticed.  I kept looking at him with a smile;  He smiled back "How are you doing?", he asked kindly.  "Good!  It is nice to see an astronaut in cafeteria.  Not everyone can say that", I said happily.  "Right here, every day!", he confirmed joyfully.

Dr. Piers Sellers is now back to science full time.  Only if society recognized and appreciated science rock stars!  On a second thought, maybe they are beginning too!

Let's See!

Luck is when opportunity meets preparation. Opportunities are knocking at the door.  I am about to open them, to see new worlds, or rather to look at the same old world, with new eyes.  I am excited.  There are callings, I am going to respond.  Will there be a match? Won't know unless I try.  I choose to try.

Friday night theories!

A stormy Friday night with tornado watches and a runny and congested nose due to I do not know allergy or cold, made me take it easy, become a couch potato, and watch a chick flick, and honestly, I realized how much I had missed it.  Anyways, the movie is the Holiday, and I just liked this conversation:

he: "So, he's a schmuck."
she: "As a matter of fact, he is... a huge schmuck. How did you know?"
 he: "He let you go. This is not a hard one to figure out. Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend."
she: "You're so right. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for God's sake!"

So true! Only if all girls learned this sooner than later!  Or not!  Maybe behaving like the best friend is our natural evolutionary mechanism of not wanting to be the leading lady of a schmuck!!