#5: Forty
On getting older, true empowerment of patients, and geeky holiday baking.
Welcome back to Campfire Notebook, where I share blogs, bits and bobs about engaging more people in research and sharing science better.
In Issue 5, we get festive! First, getting older gets me reflective; I share tweets about true patient empowerment and engagement with others in science. And, of course, holiday baking - but with a geeky twist.
Happy holidays to you and yours!
Found in Translation Blog
Letters to Myself
It's odd to consider that specific birthdays are milestones, when every turn around the sun should be an occasion for celebration, especially in a time when much seems hopeless (hello, year 2 of a pandemic). However, our society does place particular emphasis on certain years; we're fixated on fives and tens.
So when I look ahead to the coming week and the advent of a new decade for yours truly, I took some time to reflect and think about what I would say to earlier versions of myself.
Dear 10-year-old Bryn,
Learn to embrace new opportunities and the chances to make mistakes. I know that sounds weird, because we're taught to study hard and not make mistakes. But mistakes are great! We all make them, especially when we’re trying something new. And to keep growing, we have to try new things, and you will learn so much more through your “failures”. Finally, there are going to be things you're not good at, and that's okay, too. Keep reading and exploring and asking questions, and making mistakes.
Dear 20-year-old Bryn,
Keep an open mind to any and every experience and perspective. They will all teach you something - what you want to do, who you want to be, and not be - and you never know where a simple meeting will take you.
Also, don’t stress too much when it seems like everyone else around you is growing up faster, or leaving town for bigger and brighter things. Everyone has their own path, and each path has different spots of shade and sunlight. Bright spots are coming later in the trail for you.
Dear 30-year-old Bryn,
You’re all done school finally, and now you feel like life should all make sense. You don’t have to have it all figured out, and you probably never really will. That’s okay!
With that being said, listen to your heart, be willing to bet on yourself and take those risks. Once you're sure you have what you need to live safely, everything else then becomes a question of your happiness. Loving what you do means so much more than a pay check.
Dear 40-year-old Bryn,
I’m so proud of how far you’ve come, and I think the best still lies ahead for us. I can’t wait to see what you do next.
See you in a few days, kid.
#HowToDoPtEngagement
What does it really mean to share power? When we “empower” others, is it still on our terms, our schedules? Do we still hold back some of the power, and if so, why? Out of fear of what the relationship and outcomes will look like? Out of discomfort with the unknown?
I really liked this tweet this week, because it gave me lots to think about what giving power to others truly means.
#ShareYourScience
The responses to Dr. Wagge’s assignment are warming on a cold December day, aren’t they? The truth is, most investigators want to know someone has not only read their paper, but thought about its arguments and conclusions enough to engage with them. So if you like a paper, let the authors know! It’ll boost someone’s day, and it might be the start of a new collaboration.
The Geeky Gourmet
I love when people fly their geek flag in unexpected or non-traditional ways. With less than a week to Christmas, even the scientists’ kitchens are working overtime to churn out tasty treats for the holidays. Check out these examples of sugar cookie cell structures, gingerbread glassware, baked good brains.
