My groundhog day

Wednesday 4th September 2013

I pull into the office car park at 8:03am, as per usual.

I ascend the staircase to the office front door and wave my wallet in front of the proximity card reader and a familiar 'click' indicates that the lock has disengaged and I can freely push the door to enter. I approach the front desk to sign the now vintage looking attendance register (see blog entry from October 2012 - what I learnt #12). As I input the particulars into the book, I overhear my employer on the phone speaking to a client. It is a conversation I have heard innumerable times.

I look skyward and exhale deeply puffing my cheeks as though I was playing an imaginary trumpet. On this particular day the song was "Taps" in b flat. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WChTqYlDjtI

This heralded the beginning of my 'groundhog day' moment. I have done this exact routine over and over and the days are a repetition of those previous. This is fine for celestial bodies, but mine is more terrestrial in nature. I was reminded of the movie "Groundhog Day" featuring Bill Murray. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day_(film)

In the film, the protagonist relives the same day for years. No one is aware of his time loop but him. None of his actions, however wild or reckless have any effect on the inevitable reoccurrence of the day's events. He is not even freed from the loop through death. The only thing that carries him past hundreds of February 2nd's is his change of attitude where he uses his knowledge of his now constant environment to improve the lives of those around him.

My own time loop this morning made me think of this movie that I saw so many years ago. Similarly, my actions have no impact on the repetition of the days I have ahead at this particular company. They will simply continue to be, just as the tides rise and fall. What I can do, is change how I consider my days. Instead of simply thinking of how my days affect me personally, I can consider more closely those around me. Instead of being a passive participant in the day's proceedings, I can take a proactive stance with the knowledge I have gained. Maybe by thinking of how I can actively enrich the lives of others, my February 3rd will roll around as it did for Bill.

Wolowitz and the Russian rocket

I've recently become a fan of a TV series named "The Big Bang Theory".


There's a character named Howard Wolowitz who is a Robotics Engineer and has always dreamed of going to space to work on the International Space Station.
Each project, published paper and research assignment he completed in the years following his graduation inched him closer to him realizing his dream.

One day he received the call he'd been waiting on for his entire life; NASA was on the line.
He was over the moon (if this isn't the perfect use of the pun then I give up), and it would seem as though his dream had finally come true.

But in his first day of training he discovered he may be in for more than he had imagined:

Progressively the training became more demanding and it took a toll on Howard:

In a dramatic turn of events, the launch was cancelled due to technical difficulties and Howard's reaction was one of devastation, at least on the surface:

Eventually however, the launch did take place and our engineer did make it to outer space. Despite all his trials and hardship during training, Howard persevered and strapped himself into the set atop a rickety Russian rocket and was in for the ride of his life:

In many ways, I found Howard's journey toward his dream a reflection of one I've had for years: Owning a motorcycle.

In the early stages, it was all I could think of spending hours on reading about types of motorcycles, engine configurations, the physics of two wheeled automobiling and all the protective gear that was necessary. Obsessed would not be a particularly excessive description during this stage of my pursuit.

I finally did get a motorcycle, and then another. 

In many ways, the dream phase did reach a harsh and abrupt end when I got on two wheels.

I realized that every car on our roads is utterly and completely ignorant of motorcycle riders and have no concept that a human's life is on the line when recklessly maneuvering their vehicle. I realized that falling down on a motorcycle is a painful and expensive mistake to make. I realized that there is a clear and present risk I am taking every time I put on my gear and take a ride.

For quite a while, the close calls I had on the roads with cretins behind the wheel of their engine and cage contraptions had me beaten much like Howard. I put up my boots for a while. After looking at episode 23 of season 5 of The Big Bang Theory, I immediately geared up and went for a ride.

If Howard can put aside the risks and pain to fulfill his dream, then so can I. 

Our dreams are often fraught with peril and uncertainty. We must understand that the reason we reach for our dreams is that it is slightly beyond the comfortable reclined position in which we find ourselves. 

Every time I think of giving up, I will remember the lesson I learnt from Wolowitz and the Russian rocket.