I have a theory that alongside the drive for sex, recognition and companionship, everyone has a built-in, plug ‘'n play linguistic drive. I know I do. The only problem is that my linguistic drive seems to have two gears: intake and output. Right now, I'm absorbing a book on telecommunications. My brain is so focused on Media Access Control addresses and synchronous payload envelopes that it’'s uninterested in producing anything creative.
Don'’t laugh -– I'’m serious. My wife thinks I'’m nuts for actually enjoying this stuff, but what can I say? The moment I stop learning at my job is the moment I'’ll give it up and drive a cab for a living.
Just so you get an idea of what I mean by absorb, here's a book page before I mark it up:
In all its naked gloryAnd here's one after I mark it up:
Pretty, ain't it?
2 comments:
I've always admired people who have the motivation and patience to read such stuff. At university, I've always searched for the less complicated and time-consuming way to learn something. Therefore "Molecular Biology for Dummies" or "Surgery in 3 days" would have been suitable books for me.
Would it make you feel better if I told you that medical texts make my palms sweat? I categorically turn them all down. That and anything related to cars. I hate car translations. I don't really like driving much, either.
It's ironic - my mother's a registered nurse, and my father's a professor of molecular biology. You'd think I'd just lap up the medical stuff.
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