It seems, Spring has come early this year. Partly, because "they", the decision-making powers that be, moved Daylight Savings Time up so that it's earlier than ever, and partly because Easter was the earliest in something-like 93 years (or so I've been told.) So, we had D.S.T. , quickly followed by Easter, with St. Patty's Day sandwiched in between. And, now, we're off and runnin'...
Little Sir and I were treated to a visit to the Aquarium in Riverhead on Saturday. It was totally unexpected, and totally delightful. Got a text with the invitation, and who could pass that up? (Thank you, thank you, again, "B"!) So, right after my morning lessons, I picked him up and met our friend there. They were having a "penguin egg" hunt, and there were lots of little kids there with their families. The lovely weather made seeing the outside exhibits, penguins, sea lions and seals, all the more pleasurable. It was Little Sir's second visit there (it is pricey), and last time he was petrified of the sharks. This time, that exhibit was the first one he wanted to see! There is a big maturity-level difference between 3 and 4-years-old, I guess, in the fear-factor area. It was almost exactly a year ago that we went for the first time, with my dad.
Being at the Aquarium brought back all those old feelings from childhood and adolescence. I had so wanted to be a marine biologist and work with someone like Jacques Cousteau, diving in all those wonderful places, like the Great Barrier Reef. Ah yes. But the Federal funding had been cut, and the programs were gone by the time I got to college-choice time...and so...on to other options...and life changes, taking different paths. One always wonders what life would be like if one had taken an alternate path. Would I be a marine biologist, having dived all over the world (without a weight problem!), or would I have been unemployed within my field eternally after graduation with a useless degree and lots of loans? So, instead, I started out a writing major, taking a scholarship, music minor. Later flip-flopped that. On to other degrees in other disciplines.
All of these experiences shape our lives, making a many-faceted stone. Who knew, all those years ago, when all I wanted to do was swim with dolphins, and explore the depths of various seas, and learn and learn and learn about different species of animal and plant life, that I would one day end up a music teacher with TESOL certification, headed to speak at the international TESOL convention in 2 weeks? Life's crazy sometimes, huh?
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4 comments:
Yep.
Thou art a woman of very little words, sometimes, Miss Nan.
Speaking at a conference? You go girl!
I also wanted to be a marine bioligist - but only for about a month while I was already in college pursuing a political science major. It seemed impractical to switch.
So glad you got to the aquarium. My kids and I have been BIG fans and members since it opened in... what 2000? We used to go to that little buidling that housed the riverhead foundation for marine research before. My kids LOVE marine animals.
Maybe we could all have a Northfork Parents outing there...
Yeah, it's a little scary. Not exactly my favorite thing to do, but it looks good on the resumes. And I'll be making professional connections, meeting people from all over the world.
We used to be involved with Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center, and the marine rescue place that used to be in Hampton Bays, throughout the 90's, before the aquarium became a reality. Good memories.
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