Thanks COFTY and DAGNEY.
Something that kind of spontaneously came out during my meeting with the director of student involvement today was something I don't think I've ever expressed on this board.
When I was in high school (1984-5?) there was a class trip to the state university (the one I am now attending) for students interested in engineering, computers, mathematics.
I loved it.
At the time, the ceramics lab on this particular campus had actual samples of the material used for the Space Shuttle tiles. A student had this white block of material cooking in some sort of kiln until it was red hot, then removed it from the kiln with tongs, and picked the still-glowing tile material up by the cool edges with his bare fingers. Amazing stuff!
It was after this trip that I really started getting the heat about college (just realizing how "punny" that statement is considering the previous paragraph!)
Anyway, not long thereafter, my mother brings me into the back room before two elders: one a mason/bricklayer and another guy who remodels kitchens and bathrooms. They advise me that being mixed in with college kids is dangerous should Armageddon break out. How would Jehovah tell me apart from the worldly kids? And why go to college when the end is sooooo close? You're either in "the Ark," or you're out.
From that point on --- up until I woke up --- I had literal nightmares of walking in front of the engineering buildings on this particular campus and seeing fireballs from heaven rain down, and realizing I was doomed.
But now, I told the director, I walk around that VERY SAME CAMPUS where I had once toured thirty years ago, and had so many nightmares about, and I AM SAFE. NO FIREBALLS. NO ARMAGEDDON.
I am still alive.
And I am learning some pretty goddamned amazing stuff!