Not everyone can be an astrophysicist

Found this great post in the Fat-o-sphere that so wonderfully captures what it’s like to be surrounded by people who are gripped tight in the commercial beauty fallacy, even when they are well-intentioned friends. For example, when I need a safe, sympathetic shoulder to admit to (some) of my psychological issues with food and get a dietician recommendation. Or when I go to a restaurant and feel obligated to have a salad, or skip desert, or at the very least feel bad about going round public looking the way I do and still having the gal to eat right there in the open (look me in the eye and tell me you've not thought that about a fat person eating).

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http://www.axisoffat.com/2011/02/everyone-can-be-an-astrophysicist.html

Everyone can be an astrophysicist

Everyone can be an astrophysicist. All you need to do is work hard, and you’ll get there. Let’s face it – only quitters aren’t astrophysicists. If it’s not something that comes naturally to you there’s PLENTY of things you can do help you get there.

Just study harder, for example. I know it seems obvious, but clearly you’ve never heard it before, otherwise you’d be doing it. Finding the complex mathematics difficult? Hire a tutor. Doesn’t matter that it’s expensive and maybe you can’t afford it right now – if that’s what you need to do, then do it.

Still finding it difficult? Maybe you need to spend more time studying so that you can get there. What? You’re already studying every day? Maybe you need to do more. And more. If it requires you to study 12 hours a day in order to become an astrophysicist – that’s what you need to do. Sure, you won’t have time for your friends or family, and your mental health might suffer, but at least you’ll be getting closer to that goal.

What do you mean you don’t understand why being an astrophysicist should be the ultimate goal for everyone? Astrophysics is what everyone aspires to, really, even if they say otherwise. Or it’s what they should want, even if they don’t. The benefits are amazing – well worth those small sacrifices of well-being and mental health.

I’m so tired of people saying that not everyone has the capacity to become an astrophysicist. It’s well established now that every single human brain functions in the same way and has the same capacity for intelligent thought. Do I have any research to back that up? Well no, not specifically, but everyone knows it. It’s on the news all the time and my cousin’s best friend’s boyfriend’s sister did a subject in psychology and she told me that essentially everyone’s brain is made up of the same stuff, so obviously it all works the same. Clearly the problem with the people who don’t become astrophysicists is that they’re quitters. They’re just not prepared to do the work it takes to get there. They don’t have any pride or self-respect or self-discipline. All they want to do is sit around on the couch watching TV or playing on the internet. That’s all anyone who isn’t an astrophysicist does.

And at the end of the day, I’m an astrophysicist*, so everyone else must be able to be one too.

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*Actually, I’m not an astrophysicist. I have nothing but respect and admiration for astrophysicists. It was the first occupation that I thought of that required a highly intelligent, highly trained mind, and I mean no disrespect to anyone in that field.

My week so far.

Monday:

Found out my husband has to book an expensive international flight on short notice, leave the country and won't be getting paid for the time he'll be working in England. Hope he will be let back into the country on his return. Stressed a little bit about unexpected expenses.

Tuesday:

Said goodbye to Steve, hosted my bible study group in the evening. Made lemon meringue. No catastrophe, probably to lure me into a false sense of security.

Wednesday:

Got told my car's engine is completely buggered and will need replacing completely at a cost tens of thousands of Rands. Stressed a lot about unexpected expenses.

Thursday:

Buggered up my garage door. On the up side, took a friend to the airport with the understanding I am to look after her car while she's away, so at least I have transport.

Friday:

Need to find some documents of Steve's so his work can apply for some sort of interim arrangement that will allow them to pay him as a legal employee until his new visa comes through. HEY GUESS WHAT can't find the document anywhere.

Saturday:

Pretty good day. Didn't even shout at God. He even arranged for my lovely friend to be here on Saturday morning through some fluke car trouble she had so she could help me with an important errand I couldn't have done on my own. Had a lovely evening out with friends, too. The pool's filter system did pack up though and it's now a lovely mossy shade of green.

Sunday:

My friend's car? Won't start. AT ALL. Thank God (ha) I at least got to the front gate of the house safely since it was 3am but, not being used to driving clutch anymore, I stalled it on the steep incline of the driveway. Had to let it free back down and onto the sidewalk where it is now sitting like a magnificent, immovable installation sculpture. Also I woke up at 8am from construction vehicles reversing behind our house. I have no idea how I'm supposed to go fetch her from the airport tomorrow night, now.

Yes, this post is exclusively for the purposes of making you feel sorry for me. I sure do. I know things can always be worse but at the moment it feels like they are getting worse at a more or less constant rate; so at some point that is going to stop being true.

So, Steve is off to England tomorrow.

If you think that's surprised you with it's suddenness, that's nothing compared to how surprised Steve and I are!

He had a one year work visa for SA. On 17 December he qualified to apply for permanent residency but that takes Africa time to go through The Dept of Home Affairs.

I really don't know what happened and I don't want to speculate but all I know is today he got a call from his visa agent and then booked a flight to the UK. His visa expires tomorrow, so he has to go. Tomorrow.

And of course I'm not working at the mo, and we bought a R15000 dining set yesterday, and the car is in for repairs and in all likelihood will need a new water pump.

It's going really well.

Today has been a mad rush of phoning (the most dear, sweet, amazing!) family and finding somewhere to stay; figuring out how he's going to get to the airport without our car; getting a flight booked with credit cards that are being obstinate and won't go through online; cancelling dates with friends; finding the winter clothes etc etc etc.

It's kinda stressy in here at the mo.

I really need to find a job.