Get Ready!

Today, after discussing my work progress, my boss says:"You can graduate next year."

That's good news.

Then he asks:"What do you want to do after this?"

"Postdoc, I guess."

"What areas are you interested in?"

My mind goes blank.

I don't know. I've never thought of it.

I once thought that knowledge increases automatically with age. After 4 or 5 years, I thought when I first got here, I would think as a genetics veteran. I was wrong. I still think as an undergraduate.

I am like a new student driver who is just starting to feel comfortable driving on a quiet local road but this road suddently merges onto a crowded L.A. highway.

So many cars. So fast. So many lanes, leading to unknown places.

His hands are shaking. His eyes are overwhelmed. He sees the signs but doesn't know which way to follow, because he doesn't know where he wants to go. Maybe he just wants to go back to his relaxing local road. But stuck in this traffic, he has to drive on.

"Let me get off!"he cries.

But traffic listens to no man.