The Investment and the Payoff...

I am contacted every 2 years by the US Census for the National Science Foundation to find out just what I'm doing. In many instances, I've said the following:

"I'm a communications officer in the Air Force."

"I'm an engineer in the semiconductor industry."

"I'm unemployed."

"I'm in graduate school."

"I'm selling electronic security systems." (That's how I met Alicia and Mark Raizen who inspired me to the following...)

"I'm a high school physics teacher."

I have some things in the works right now that is directly related to my background and experience in the sciences.

I suffered the harangue of those that called me "nerd" (and that was the NICEST epithet).  I've gone from an economically challenged existence in an urban ghetto to always having a skill I can leverage in the public marketplace.  I've traveled abroad to countries I'd see on documentaries and plan to see lands like the ones on Marlin Perkin's Wild Kingdom and The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.
I hope in my short time as a HS teacher, I've inspired others to pursue what's not as encouraged as much as basketball, football and rapping is in our community.

For the past study stress, I feel blessed...