"Science (from Latin
scientia, meaning 'Knowledge') is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe."
How do I know this? Because my husband LOVES SCIENCE and he randomly looks up science things on Wikipedia, one day even looking up the word
science itself. Just the other day he was on his iPad, when suddenly he looked up, the nerdy glint in his eye I have come to know much too well, and said, excitedly, "Did you know that the galaxy orbits around a black hole?" And then he paused, probably for effect, and slowly said, as if unveiling the Sunday morning headline of the New York Times, "Sagitarius......A." He looked at me, expectantly, as if I was supposed to respond with the same crazy glint in my eye. I mustered all the glint I could, and replied, "Wowwwwwwww." He seemed satisfied, and like a little puppy, turned back to his iPad. I continued to go about my business. Suddenly, from over where Tyler was sitting, where all I could see was a mass of curls poking above the couch, Tyler burst out, throwing his fist in the air, "I LOVE SCIENCE!"
Hey people! Did you know he loves science? He told me so. And since that day, he continues to tell me every day. Unfortunately for me, I dreaded going to biology class, and to physical science. Put me in a sociology or history or anthropology class and I will salivate. Put me in a biology lab talking about mitochondria and I'll wish I was at the dentist getting the biggest root canal known to man. To this day I am amazed that the man who LOVES SCIENCE! and I managed to wed.
I was beginning to worry about our compatibility. Would our children want to spend all of their time with only him, dissecting the dead skunk they found on the side of the road, as I get as far away as possible? I was troubled. I hadn't even had children yet and I was already seeing them slip out of my ungloved hands in the name of SCIENCE.
My worry did not have to last long, however. Somehow, without pigs flying, or the fat lady singing, we managed to find a commonality in the sphere some might refer to as...SCIENCE. We read on CNN that a meteor shower was going to happen in the wee hours of Thursday morning, and that we should be able to see it. Upon reading this announcement, we looked at each other, and both squealed, "WE LOVE SCIENCE!" That night we set our alarm for 3:00 am and went to sleep, anxious to view the night sky and to be awed by the natural wonders of the universe.
"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP." Our new alarm clock was going off. It was 3:00 am. "We gotta find out how to turn that alarm clock to the radio setting," Tyler grumbled, before turning over and falling back sound asleep. "Wake up, crazy! It's time!" I told him as I jumped out of bed and threw on boots and my poofy coat (we looked stylish, let me tell you). We descended down the concrete steps of our third story apartment and onto the frozen grass next to our building. Oddly enough, there was quite a lot of action going on in our parking lot at such an early hour. Cars were running and people were leaving their apartments, probably headed to work -- or to smoke. It's a toss up. Either way, we were among those who stood in the cold, January air. But what may surprise you the most is that we were the
only ones outside to see the meteor shower. And how do I know? Because everyone was looking at us like we were insane. Now, in order for you to empathize with our neighbors, let me paint you a picture.
It's 3:00 am. I am in plaid pajama pants, a bright blue puffy coat that makes me look like a marshmallow, and huge boots. Tyler is in something similarly off-key, and a beanie. We are standing in the middle of the iced-over grass, staring up at the sky like we're expecting the aliens to come down and take our bodies right then and there. If this isn't crazy looking enough, there is a bright lamppost impeding our clear view of the night sky, so Tyler puts his one arm up to block the light from his eye-sight. It looks as if he's reaching towards the aliens, calling them, guiding them. I notice the people behind us staring. I nudge Tyler and tell him that we look like a couple of crazies. He just shrugs and says he's trying to block the light. So there we continued, reaching up towards the night skies with open arms, waiting for the spaceship to pick us up on that cold, frosted early January morning. As it turns out, we couldn't see anything, gave up, and went back to bed.
While our neighbors may never look at us the same again, at least Tyler and I know that we're going to make it as a couple. Maybe I won't google search everything related to science like he does, or get that nerdy glint in my eye that he always seems to have. But maybe every once in awhile I would enjoy making a volcano that blows up. And for right now, that's enough for me.
SCIENCE!
