Love Story: In The Web of Life by Ken Renshaw (most motivational books txt) 📗

"First, Minkowski is a reputable source forideas, a mainline mathematician, someone who is more than a peer ofEinstein, not one of the kooks on the Internet, the self proclaimedmathematicians, pushing some incompetent theory unifyingphysics;

"Second, something can be true in physicsalthough it can't be visualized, especially imaginarydimensions.

"I think the problem you will have inconvincing a jury will be getting them to believe ineight-dimensional space. The Scopes trial was about Biblicalbeliefs versus scientific beliefs. The Rocky Butte trial will beabout a belief in visualizable reality versus a higher dimensionalreality: science as taught in high school a generation ago versusmodern physics."

"Yes." I agreed, "But my cup runneth over Let'sgo have lunch and talk about something else for awhile."

Captain Ahab's is one of those themerestaurants from about twenty years ago, with antique divinghelmets, worn ropes, fishing nets, and oars decorating the walls.Our table was made of a recycled boat hatch, covered with epoxyover a variety of seashells. I thought the informality of therestaurant would be a welcome break from our stern officesurroundings and a good place to talk and developrapport.

We chatted as we read the menu and ordered.Candice declined my suggestion of wine. "Only on very specialoccasions, and, besides, I'm working today," she said, rolling herpiercing blue eyes and chuckling."

"I guess I should abstain if I am going to tryto keep up with you this afternoon," I added. "Tell me what you dowhen you are not being a mathematician or teacher?"

"We live right on the edge of the mountains ofthe Angeles National Forest in Altadena. We hike there or going tothe Sierras when we have time."

"We?' I said quizzically.

"My significant other is Tom Watson. He is aHollywood-type arranger and composer. He works at home most of thetime on scores for films. We have lots of flexible time to enjoybeing with each other. He also counsels people, helps them withtheir problems. We also meditate and have many close friends whoare spiritually oriented. We have a wonderful lifetogether."

"That's wonderful! I like your distinctionbetween 'do' and 'have'," I observed.

She added, "I like to talk to attorneys, theylisten to you. Many of my students seem to be in some otherspace-time when I talk to them. So, what do you do when you are notbeing an attorney?"

"I spend a lot time in the desert in a placecalled CrystalAire. It is over the mountains, north from where youlive in Altadena. I have a sailplane and a little mobile home atthe airport. I often soar for hours a day. From the porch of mymobile, I can see a hundred miles on a clear day to the southernSierras. I must say I have learned to really enjoy the desert, theopen space, the flora and fauna."

There was a pause. I felt that she was waitingfor the "we" part.

Then, she continued, "My grandfather was aNative American. When I was little, we visited him in Oklahoma fora few weeks in the summer. We used to hike together, and sometimeswe would sit and watch the soaring birds. He said you could learn alot from them. Those visits contributed a lot to who I am. Ilearned to appreciate the connectedness of us tonature."

"How did that lead to a career as amathematician?" I inquired.

"Part of mathematics is the search for unity. Ithink I got that appreciation from my grandfather. My grandmotheron the other side of the family was from Louisiana and was ashamanic sort of person, real old school, with lots of ideas aboutmagic. She taught me the magic of how to make up my mind aboutsomething, following intuition or my heart, and then letting ithappen. That also is of value as a mathematician, allowing yourselfto be vulnerable."

'Vulnerable? That is having a weakness thatsomeone else could exploit,' I said to myself.

She paused and looked at me with the expressionI saw in Dore and Colson when they were sizing me up. I felt hermind switch gears.

"Enough about me. Tell me more about you. Itsounds like the soaring thing is important to you. Do you takepeople for rides? Were there pilots in your family?"

"No. My father had a hardware store in a smallnorthern California logging town where I grew up. My mother was aschoolteacher. They raised me with Midwestern Baptist values.Definitely, no shaman in the family.

"About five years, ago someone gave me a gliderride for Christmas. They clipped an ad from the L.A. Times. I triedit once and was hooked. Soaring is esthetically very much like boatsailing, except a lot more is happening. Most sailplanes aredesigned to carry only a pilot. It is not a social sport. They havetwo seat gliders for pilot training and giving rides.

"The International Aeronautical Federation hasestablished badges, sort of medals, for different flightachievements, such as flying for five hours at once, gainingsixteen thousand feet of altitude, flying five hundred kilometersand things like that. I am working toward making an ultimateflight, achieving all badge goals in one flight. That flight willtake skill, and a day with perfect weather. The trick is to bethere, ready to go when that perfect day appears.

"Sometimes, I can't make it back to the airportand have to get retrieved by a tow plane or a ground crew. Thereare survival hazards in landing in the middle of nowhere in thedesert when it is about one-hundred degrees."

Candice's eyes grew wide with interest oramazement as I talked excitedly. "You are passionate about thissoaring thing! The possibility of ending the day on the desert inthe middle of nowhere is an interesting vulnerability."

Lunch came, and we chatted only about the mealand food for a while.

I felt that I had to question Candice aboutvulnerability. "I am a little puzzled about your use of the term,vulnerability. I always think of it as a weakness that someone canexploit. In presenting a legal case, there may be logical orfactual vulnerabilities in your arguments that can be attacked bythe opposition. If a person had a burglar alarm installed in theirhouse, and the kitchen door was not included that would bevulnerability. How does that pertain to being amathematician?"

Candice though for a minute and then replied."When I write papers, there are a couple of