Topic: This young woman is incredible.

[Pugnate]

http://pk.ign.com/ign-pakistan/7848/feature/naziyah-mahmood-a-geeky-rocket-scientist-who-is-out-of-this

[Xessive]

She's inspiring to say the least. Mad respect.

[Pugnate]

A ninja rocket scientist!

[ren]

Well she's accomplished more than I would in several lifetimes.

[Quemaqua]

Man, super impressive. I'm going to go cry in a corner now and pretend I'm an astrophysicist ninja instead of a 34 year old who's still in college.

[ren]

Man, super impressive. I'm going to go cry in a corner now and pretend I'm an astrophysicist ninja instead of a 34 year old who's still in college.

There is a Youtube channel in there somewhere....

[Quemaqua]

I would prefer to keep my shame private.

[Pugnate]

hahaha... We can still make it. Some of us are late bloomers.

[Cobra951]

Que, I would give my left nut to be 34 again.  The first thing I'd do . . . well after reveling in youth again . . . the SECOND thing I'd do is enroll in university somewhere, do some graduate work, and get a real career.  You have a lifetime, buddy.  Do not despair.

[Quemaqua]

That'd be great, if I was doing graduate work! I'll be starting my BA next semester. I'll be 36 at a minimum when I graduate. It would be a lot easier to swallow if almost every professional I know or interact with on any regular basis wasn't 10 years younger than me, and I haven't even started a real career since I wasted a decade working for the government. I try to be sure I don't get down about it, and mostly I just joke around (as I was doing in this thread), but let me tell you, there are days. Pug might have bloomed late, but he actually bloomed. I'm not sure I've even quite broken through the soil. Doesn't deter me from doing so, as I'm determined to carry this through come hell or high water, but it does make me a touch worried about my eventual prospects. Not many fields jumping for joy at the thought of hiring 40 year olds with no work experience. I'd give my left nut to be like this woman ... under 30 with a postgraduate degree, lots of experience, and an obvious gift for a variety of things. I couldn't even get there by 40 at this point. That's a tough reality to acknowledge. It's amazing how quickly we go from feeling young and on top of the world to worrying about just how much time has already gone by.

[Pugnate]

Aw. Well I haven't quite bloomed yet either. I am still doing work in a country where English isn't a first language so I am at a bit of an advantage. I'd say I've bloomed when I eventually move on to work here, though my contract has a long way to go.

Anyway, I thought this 5 minute video was quite inspiring:

As far as I am concerned, 40 is the new 30. I realized that we worry far too much about age but when we hit the number we had dreaded, we realize it isn't so bad. The only regret is worrying so much about aging when that time could have been used productively.

Also, I think we can't compare ourselves to this woman. She is absolutely exceptional. I have never come across someone like her. It would be like comparing yourself to an anomaly. I'd say we admire her gifts. We all have the ability to achieve great things.

[Quemaqua]

I entirely agree. It's why I try not to get down about it. Not everyone can be the top of the top, and I don't need to be that. I'd just like to be something other than a 34 year old who hasn't seen a real paycheck since he was 28.

I've seen that video also, thought it was a good one. My ex sends me stuff like that when she thinks I'm getting down, haha.

[Pugnate]

I don't think us creative types are meant to have a real paycheck without a real struggle.

[ren]

I don't think us creative types are meant to have a real paycheck without a real struggle.

That's interesting. I never gave it any thought before but this group does seem to skew to the creative, artistic type. Maybe I've never noticed because I'm distinctly not that type.

[Pugnate]

I'd say writers fall in the creative category.