I Hereby Award Myself The Nobel Prize For Happiness?

Hi folks,

Beautiful rock formations observed as Nigel and I drive the Saint George Ironman course in preparation for his race.

I am really enjoying my visit to the Saint George Ironman with my athlete son, Nigel, who is competing. The place has the most amazing geology, all sorts of rock formations, from wind-sculpted sandstone to recent (well geologically-recent) lava flows, set solid just as they cooled long ago. As I was sitting having my quiet morning cup of tea, it occurred to me that our psyches are just like rock formations.

I have three sons, and I was present for each of their births, fortunately. When they arrived their personalities were already in place. In fact, their hair was colored like granite, red sandstone, and chalk, respectively, being as different as their characters. As a parent, you know that this ‘raw clay’ will be molded over time by the winds, rain, and gravity of life to yield an adult human of unpredictable nature. People ask me, “Which is your favorite?” I never have understood this question, as each is unique and lovable in his own way, and fortunately they are good friends, so I know they’ll be there for each other when difficult times arise and I am not around to assist. These thoughts cause me to look back on life, which for me included a wonderful 40-year career in science. A little book, ‘Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher,’ and a love of Biology took me down this road.

I learned many things during my career, including the fact that humans, though very proud of what they have achieved in Science, really know little about how the universe really works. We have a long way to go in this regard, but I think that better progress will be made if happiness as a scientist were a key product of the process. Nurturing the joy of learning and humility could take young scientists to the greatest scientific award of all, ‘The Nobel Prize for Happiness,’ which only you can award to yourself. All of the other awards are just so much fluff and sand, to be eventually blown away in the wind, whilst happiness will endure within the global human psychosphere, to be enjoyed for generations to come.

As I write this, I hear my son singing in the shower, as he prepares psychologically for his race. Yes! I certainly deserve that grandiose award, The Nobel Prize For Happiness, bestowed solemnly upon me by myself, and FitOldDog’s advice is that you should try out for it too.

It’s time for y’all to stand and honor my success!

-k @FitOldDog