Late night thoughts

Yes, it's true. The day has finally come when it's been agreed by all that I am capable of working in Mission Control all by myself. It took a lot of hard work and about two years of my life but I've finally made it.

Quick recap for the uninitiated: Grad school in Boston-->Houston to work at NASA-->Training as a Biomedical Flight Controller (fancy term for person who makes sure astronauts are still healthy while in space).

Am I nervous? A little. Confident I'll do a good job? Sure. The toughest thing I've discovered around here is determining the difference between they way my coworkers do something and the right way of doing it. Ah, before my coworkers get offended at this statement I will explain. First, let me say that I have nothing but respect for those with whom I work. They do an excellent job performing their duties and putting up with the many things we do. The simple fact, though, is that despite us performing the same duties we all have our unique ways of doing them. I've found that one of the most significant aspects of my training was being able to wean proper procedure from the final product, wound tightly with subtleties and personal flavor. But isn't that true for most things in life? Truth is relative, but basic fact is absolute. Everything we receive in life has been altered by the giver, changed in such a way as to hide its true nature. It's an unavoidable fact of life and not necesarily something to be wary of. However, it's critical to understand this fact in everything you do. Question everything, accept nothing at first glance. Only by knowing the fundamental nature of something can you fully understand the basic fact at its core.

But what do I know? It's 3am and I still have another four hours of work ahead of me.