This weeks poem was written in an immunology seminar while I was in graduate school.  It is about overcoming.  

Breakthrough

4/3/02

I have been born, the younger of two

And many people saw me right through

Mother had a grateful love

But had no thoughts to show that love.

I grew up in many places

I struggled through life’s many mazes

I tried really hard, and fell right down

But I stood back up when I hit the ground.

After many times of stand and fall

I learned in life to give my all.

I started soon, to come out on top,

And after a while, I could not be stopped.

And then they came, and said of me,

“Your smarter than me, just look and see”

“For you were given so many thoughts”

“I’m jealous of you, you have lots”

“I look your way, your so great”

“I was a failure, that was my fate”

“You were given everything at birth”

“I was given nothing, that’s for sure”

The thing to behold, as I do say

Is nothing was handed freely my way

The fact that separates me from you

Is the work you don’t, but I choose to do.

“You have everything that I want” he said

You have it too, it’s in your head

“I am different than you are”

“I have nothing, see? Your so far”

“You are smart, smarter than me”

THEN WHY DON”T YOU LISTEN TO ME???

Breakthrough to What?

We are not breaking on through to the other side!  I am talking about the various people over the years that kept telling me that I was lucky or given more talent or knowledge.  I do not believe that.  I was raised in a terrible condition overall.  You can read my testimony which talks about most of it. I almost failed many classes growing up, I had a hard time learning, and was placed in some of the lowest classes in reading, writing, etc.  I learned that if I just apply myself I can overcome.  I made a conscious decision that what ever it took, I would finish college in 4 years.  I was almost blocked by what my adviser called the 'impossible course load".  Since I kept getting locked out of classes due to low offering in my freshmen year, I had to do Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Analytical Chemistry all in the same semester, and I needed more classes to still meet my goal. I succeeded, never getting any grade less than a B in college.  I am not a generous, I ignored fun and entertainment as much as I needed to in order to overcome.  I passed 7th grade science with a D- and went on to finish my PhD in science in 6 years.  None of it had to do with brains.  It had to do with hard work, what MacArthur calls 'planned neglect'.  In other words, I plan to neglect things that do not have any specific bearing on my goals.  This poem talks about people making the excuse that I am smarter than they are, so I end it by asking why they do not listen to me!