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| Hubble Photo |
“…the Universe, presupposed to limitation and thinking that the Universe remained in a state of stasis, astronomers were astounded to discover, that inexplicably, with a smidgen of disbelief, space as we had known it to be, was in fact, in vicissitude…”
Phil’s head now lay in the lap of female physics major beside him as his snore reverberated off the walls of the huge, completely packed lecture hall. Silence reigned as Phil awoke with a small embarrassed giggle, wiping the drool from his cheek, “I’m in the wrong lecture hall. So sorry…”
He ran through the doors, throwing his Advanced Physics textbook into the nearest garbage can. Even though the book was worth $300 used, switching his major to Social Sciences seemed a better choice.
Vicissitude is applicable in many ways.
Vicissitude is applicable in many ways.
Some time ago, I was stumped as to what would be interesting for a blog post. Mind was blank, so I found an old college dictionary and let it fall open:
Vicissitude--I had no idea what it meant. So, this is a stab at what would be a most horrible place for me to be.
Vicissitude struck me as a good choice. I mean, haven't we all found ourselves in a situation where nothing made sense and we had to make a sudden change?
I don’t know what vicissitude means, which is most unusual for me. So let’s have a peek at Google:-
ReplyDeleteAh, now I know but I am not giving it away.
Good thought!
DeleteSo we're all going to hell in a handbasket. Hmmm...
ReplyDeleteSome may be in the express lane...
DeleteFact is my life is a constant vicissitude. Has been since age 13. And I thought at age 80 things would settle down. GUESS what? 'ats a lie!
ReplyDeleteNow don't do this again!!!!! At this age I am not comfortable 'thinking'. LOL
Love from Florida
Sherry & jack
My thoughts have become more focused, less scattered.
DeleteYes … the onset, the line in (my) sandbox began in 2013. Fortunately, I seem to have crawled out and away.
ReplyDeletewhere did you crawl?
DeleteDear Susan, I'm right now experiencing the vicissitudes of clinging too rigidly to a desire to write for publication and my longing to have no deadlines or commitments. I can feel, at the deep center of myself where Oneness dwells, the longing for a transition. It's the "two roads diverged in a yellow wood" for me right now. Peace.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful thought.
DeleteThink I live in that state. Makes me a bit nervous though about the Universe.
ReplyDeleteLast night, the sky was remarkable. Milky Way visible and constellations. We were struck at how immense the universe is.
DeleteAh, yes, Vicissitude, that word comes up in conversation often.
ReplyDeleteI have been in the state of Vicissitude for quite a few years now.
I believe most people are.
DeleteI would have been running the other way. Out of Social Sciences.
ReplyDeleteHm. Where would I head? Not social sciences either. I don't know.
DeleteWe seem to have a lot of vicissitudes around here, especially with the vehicles.
ReplyDeleteVicissitudes abounds everywhere.
DeleteYes, physics class. I like it. For every force there is an equal and opposite force, distributed in various measures of time. The universe is expanding because every opposite force also initiates a force opposing it. Tremendous operations of the heavens, but also coherence of irreducible quantum states --particles and antiparticles-- brains and the various bodies built around them. Our job is to navigate vicissitude toward one or more futures that best include us. Good luck everybody!
ReplyDeleteYup, what he said.
DeleteI learned of Vicissitude when our new factory manager, all the way from Scotland called us in for a meeting and proceeded to befuddle all of us with an accent we couldn't decipher. I did hear vicissitude though and right away pulled out the dictionary I always carried back then to see what it meant. I used to spend my lunchtimes doing crossword puzzles, hence the dictionary/thesaurus.
ReplyDeleteHa! Excellent solution.
DeleteYep, sure can apply as in such a state we be
ReplyDeleteAny one who thinks Physics is his calling would not be dropping off.
DeleteSo many questions... why did the co-ed LET him sleep in her lap in the middle of a packed lecture hall? Why did he not wake up, say, well, this is certainly not what I expected, but I'm not moving till she MAKES me? I think maybe Phil wasn't ready for college at all...
ReplyDeleteMy way of thinking is that she had a thing for Phil, because she sat down next to him, and was thrilled when he collapsed in her lap.
DeleteSo many unexpected changes in life.....being born is unexpected and it just keeps on getting better doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteThat's my way of thinking, but with a lot of blimps.
DeleteThis reminds me of my recurring dream where I’m sitting in a college classroom about to take a final in a class I’ve never gone to the week before graduation. Speaking of falling asleep on a stranger, there was a recent news story about a bus passenger who pushed a man who fell asleep on him. After he awoke from his nap, he retaliated by stabbing the other bus passenger above the eye. Glad your story had a happier ending.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Oh, man. Poor guy!
DeleteMy recurring dream are teacher dreams. Never ends well.
The thing that kept me awake in my physics classes was taking notes. The professor was usually doing some derivation on the board, so there was plenty to copy down. (It's an acquired taste, I think.)
ReplyDeletethat is about true. taking notes is always a good idea in any class. My horror class was geography, taught by a dear man who never said much and the test was totally from the book.
DeleteSusan:
ReplyDelete---I never took physics when I was in H.S. I flunked chemistry and switched to an ARTS major curriculum (best move I could have made).
With that said, I can say now, that I've learned MORE about physics since school than I could have learned when I was attending.
---Vicissitudes...it wouldn't be a life worth living (and learning about) without them.
Be well out there.
Art major curriculum is definitely the way to have gone. Great choice. Physics makes more sense now that I've had more experience with it. Plus I married a man who has a dbl major in chemistry and math, got a masters in physics.
ReplyDeleteChange is good most of the time. Or so they tell me.
ReplyDeleteTake the dive, Mary!
DeleteEnjoyed reading this post, Susan. :-) Besides the fact that vicissitude is a nice word, it also means course correction. One must be open to it, for that is what takes us forward in life.
ReplyDeleteI tend to fight against it for awhile, but recognize its importance.
DeleteHmmm seems it can also mean a favorable change- now not so scary a word!😊
ReplyDelete