Flashes of Panic

The course I’ll probably be taking this summer is being taught by a professor visiting from the other university which accepted me. I noted that in a short discussion with my advisor this afternoon, and quipped, “Now I’ll get to see if I came to the right place.” He said, without a blink, “Oh, you came to the right place.”

I talked with him some about what I’ve been finding interesting lately and what, in consequence, I might want to do in preparation for the next academic year. (It’s nice, now and then, to look up and past the next week.) Then later this afternoon, I was unofficially and indirectly invited to join a grad student working group focusing on systems administration—the group that produced this year’s best paper at LISA. Which is flattering even if I don’t do it.

And the day before I fly off to Japan, one of my classes is adjourning to attend a lecture by the man I owe my career to.

Sometimes I think my life is characterized by this sort of blind luck—gut decisions, made for irrelevant reasons, which put me in good situations out of pure coincidence. Others have suggested that this is simply a good outlook on life—I don’t spend much time thinking about other places I might be or other things I might’ve done.

Or maybe I am in the right place.

Now Playing: What You Need from Listen Like Thieves by INXS