WHAT'S A PHYSICIST DO ANYWAY(S)?

I never knew what I wanted to do. But when I was very young, I told people that's what I wanted to be--a physicist. I must have heard it somewhere.

Then I wanted to be a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. That didn't work out either.

I told one of my high school teachers that I wanted to teach history. She kinda laughed at me as her eyes widened in mock disbelief.

Then for a year in college I was an accounting major. Somehow I think I was closer to my vocation when I wanted to play for St. Louis.

I re-visited teaching when draft deferments extended from student to teacher. I was real interested in that.

So after teaching a year, I started to get interested in coaching. But all that time and devotion, well, I never had it as a youth and never had it as I grew older. Eventually, I wound up announcing 3 sports for 35 seasons.

After grad school, I still pursued studies because I wanted more money. I tried gifted education, museum education, and administration. I was stacking up hours that parlayed into more money, but again, I was just scuffling around.

I wound up in an elementary principal class and thought I might like that. My teacher had other ideas. He hated high school male coaches who wanted to become el ed principals. His second hatred was high school male teachers who wanted to become el ed principals.

I knew I was sunk when he introduced me to his wife at our last class meeting held at his house. He called me "Ned". Sure enough, I got a B in the class.

End of story? Sorta. You see, I never could decide what I wanted to do, so I retired.