Our Lilly: A Scientist in the Making

It's not uncommon in the South to have your children involved in PopWarner Football starting at at 5. Whether a boy, who dawns the uniform, hungry for action and yet bewildered on the field, or a young honey that dotes the little cheerleader outfit and lines the side of the field screaming cheers, there are lots of little kids out there who see a future in football. Many parents live through their children with hopes that their son will play Varisty football or lead the varsity cheer squad in High School and someday land sports scholarships to college.

I on the other hand am a skeptic of such a plan. You see, I was never blessed with great physical stature, nor above-average speed or agility. In fact I was 4'11" weighing under 100lbs as a freshman in high school, and realized that contact sports were not something I was ever going to excel in. So a plan for my future success did not involve sports. Then I got involved in bicycle riding. I did pretty well with the bicycle; participating in races such as the El Tour de Tucson while I was in high school. I recall finishing within the top 50 riders in one race. And that was earned while rising a mountain bike with semi-smooth tires. I had dreams of being in the Olympics when they were in Atlanta in 1996. Slowly my dreams faded as I realized I didn't want to put in the effort to achieve such dreams. It took more than I was willing to give for it, but I had fun riding. I would ride all over town as a teenage boy. I even recall my mom letting me "ditch" school to go for a ride if I could prove my grades were all A's.

Perhaps music would be my "thing". I played in youth Orchestras until I heard the high school orchestra "perform". They sounded so bad, I switched to the trombone. I played the trombone for years and had a great time doing it. I played for years in Jazz bands in and out of high school. I played in the Jazz Band at the University. I had a ball. But, again, I would never be a professional.

So what would my "thing" be? I still don't know. Chicken farmer? Vegetable Farmer? Tree Enthusiast? Home Improvement guy? Photographer? Through all my little hobbies that I have waxed and then somewhat waned interest in, I've learned that I enjoy the variety of life's opportunities. I don't have to be good at everything. I don't have to be good at anything. It's just fun to try different things.

So when Lilly came home one day from school and said her school was forming a Math club and that she wanted to join, we said, "Sure thing." Her club met twice a week for a half hour to an hour before school started. They just studied math! They practiced different problems, had quizzes, etc. Then she announced that their club was going to attend a regional mathematics competition. Great! She studied evn harder, asking us to quiz her and ask her math questions. We did until the day of the competition. She had a good breakfast, and then I took her to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. There, amidst hundreds of other children, I saw the future of America's science and technology. No offense against PopWarner football, but this event carried with it an efficacy unrivaled by other youth activity, regardless how noble they might seem. I saw children of many different ethnicities, backgrounds, and yes, even variety in the socio-economic class. But it didn't matter. These kids were all there spend their Saturday solving tough problems. Wow. Call them nerds if you like, but I call them the future of America.

Needless to say, we were proud Lilly was a part of it. So I said "goodbye and good luck" and "do your best", and "If you get stumped, say a prayer and move on" and I left her to spend several hours of her precious Saturday solving problems. What's even better is that amidst all those children, Lilly's little 4th grade team won 2nd place! We are so proud of her!

 

So if her interest in math or science fades, that's fine with me. She will have gained experience and tasted something she hadn't before. But if this is a glimpse into her future, I can only imagine what great things she will see and do and make and solve. Our Lilly: A scientist in the making.