Folding universes
Physicist Robert J. Lang quit his job to do origami full-time.
In his book Heat, Bill Buford describes how he quit his job as an editor at the New Yorker to become a kitchen slave at Mario Batali’s restaurant Babbo, then a line cook, then an apprentice butcher in Tuscany.
Do you have a theoretical parallel life? Ever think of dropping everything to pursue some possibly half-assed notion? That’s a real question, I want answers.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
February 27th, 2007 at 16:27
Well, I’ve always wanted to clerk for Strand in New York.
February 27th, 2007 at 23:59
I have this aching need to be launched as a porn star by Zalman King before I turn 40. If not, I might just get on with my flower-culture business. Would you welcome a gift? How about frangipani?
February 28th, 2007 at 10:02
Here’s a serious answer: pursuing a half-assed notion (which is not really financially rewarding, I suppose): everybody’s been telling me to work abroad as a teacher, but I still choose to stay here because what I really want to be is a short story writer in Filipino. No, make that a short story writer slash teacher slash academic (as in someone who also writes “scholarly articles.”) Does my answer count?
February 28th, 2007 at 15:02
I could be a chauffeur. I could have lots of free time for reading (and surfing the net). If I’m not doing that, I could daydream of becoming one of the great ones, like Chiang, Alfred Pennyworth, Thomas Fairchild, and Kato!
Now that’s half-assed. Here comes the wild-assed notion….[place Department of self promotions here]…
I register an organization for a party list slot in congress and become a representative for: PAmbansang KApisanan ng may Natitirang Tino sa UTak. I can get elected, you know?
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:45
Was recently contemplating giving up everything and giving up on every one and leaving all behind to learn to dance the flamenco. Not the half-assed way by taking lessons in Manila. I’d have to get to the Andalucian mountains and allow myself to be tormented by gypsies until I’m possessed by duende.
March 3rd, 2007 at 16:24
There is a book entitled “Exit the Rainmaker”. It was a true story of a college president who left everything (including his wife) to live incognito in some other place.
I fantasize a lot about a parallel life: being a taxi driver instead of a CPA.
March 8th, 2007 at 23:00
To be a flight attendant and never have to write a word for the rest of my life. Hmm.