Fall brings new life and new discoveries

Springtime is viewed as the time of renewal for obvious reasons. Anyone having ever seen the Crocuses burst into full bloom following a long dreary winter, would surly agree that they are a true sign that the whole world is again coming to life.

As a young boy, living within hiking distance of William B. Bankhead National Forest, Springtime quickly became my favorite season. The cold nights, and short cool days of Spring made it possible for me to safely explore the natural topography before the snakes and spiders would able to come out to do the same. Memories of my childhood take me back to that time when new discoveries were only as far away as the edge of my back yard. Every adventure was a learning experience, contributing to my knowledge of nature, and to my love of the great outdoors.

Today, as Autumn quickly approaches, I find a new season of beginning. This Fall, as the leaves change from shades of green, to the enumerable shades of red, orange, yellow, and golden brown, I find that I am once again experiencing that feeling of my world coming to life. Having spent the first week of this semester trying to organize each class into it's rightful spot, I can now dedicate the second week to planting the seeds for my own personal growth.

I believe it is now safe to say that the anxiety of the first weekend of classes has given way to a feeling of eagerness to go forward.

Getting Started

The Red Queen Principle:

L. Van Valen (1973), proposed this principle based on the observation to Alice, by the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass , "In this place it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place."

Not to say that I am running as fast as I can, but my first few days as a doctoral student could be compared to one being deposited in the middle of a jungle, with ample food, water, and instructions on how to use the brand new GPS (global positioning system). Eventually it will all make sense. But at first, I just wanted to look through the food rations to see how long I could wander in circles before I finished reading the instructions.

Now that everything is organized (and I use this term loosely), I can go forward with a little more direction.

Reference:Van Valen L. (1973): "A New Evolutionary Law", Evolutionary Theory 1, p. 1-30.

First Impressions

Excited, invigorated, anxious -- either term could easily describe my emotions on the first day/weekend at the University of Alabama. But, beyond that finite experience is where the rubber meets the road.

The ability to have everything at one's fingertips is not a totally new idea. In Corporate America, where everything is "electronically formatted", and one must dial up, down load, or log on, I have settled into a comfort zone that I have yet to manage in this program. One would only expect this within the first week of any new endeavor. But, fearful of falling behind I have tried to open, view and digest ALL of the information on every site that opens.

Quite possibly my most important realization is that I, yes even I, must slow down and take this one day at a time.

I am very excited to be in my first week as a doctoral student at the University of Alabama. Now I must take a deep breath, and plan for that which needs completed today, and let tomorrow's new discoveries wait.