I’m sure everyone has been asked what their parents do, or at least what they studied in college. It’s a pretty normal question, and some people have really cool answers — my mom could be considered one of the those people. She studied electrical engineering at a time when women in STEM majors were not very popular and now works in the government. I could disclose what she does, but keeping it a secret makes her look that much more mysterious.
My dad on the other hand — really cool guy and all — but doesn’t have a very interesting job or major. My dad studied geology at the University of Iowa and now is a government contractor. He loses people as soon as he brings up Iowa, and when he brings up the fact that he studied rocks, people really start to snooze. I usually follow that up with the fact that he was asked to walk onto the University of Iowa’s basketball team but declined in order to focus on his studies. That way he gets a few more cool points.
I used to be like everyone else who would yawn at the fact that my dad studied geology and has a typical government job. At one volleyball tournament, that all changed.
There is a pretty large club volleyball tournament called Colorado Crossroads where teams typically from the Midwest and West Coast congregate to win a bid to nationals. Some East Coast teams decide to join, simply because Denver, Colo. is a pretty cool place that many teams have never journeyed to. That was my team my sophomore year of high school.
During the tournament, we played in the morning wave and had the rest of the day to ourselves. Being a geologist at heart and opportunely in Denver, my dad asked if I wanted to go to Red Rocks Park. Of course, I obliged. We drove about 20 minutes to the park, and climbed countless amounts of stairs to look at the gorgeous and giant red-orange rocks that surrounded snowy mountains. My dad would stop me along the way to show me different striations and patterns in the rocks that date them back millions of years. His face lit up every time he spoke, knowing so much about something most people find so insignificant.
That day trip to Red Rocks still makes me happy to this day. Seeing my dad so excited about something so normally trivial was really special. But it also ended up piquing my interest in rocks and the history of the Earth. I know, sounds dorky, but when you listen to someone that is passionate about something, it really makes you intrigued simply because someone you love loves that subject.
So now I sit in my Introduction to Environmental Sciences class, geeking out about rocks. Maybe it’s a genetic thing, but I think the history of the Earth that rocks tell is so fascinating. But if you have taken this class and didn’t find it interesting, that’s cool too. I guess my point is, be passionate about what you want to be passionate about. My dad is passionate about rocks — rocks. He loves basketball and was a talented player and still chose rocks. As odd as that sounds to anyone on the outside, watching him talk about Red Rocks and its history demonstrated to me that all it takes sometimes is listening to find new, exciting interests. All I did was entertain him for an afternoon, but I ended up having a big interest in what he was passionate about afterwards.
So don’t diminish seemingly trivial passions. Some people might like to talk about how fascinating it is that the universe’s chemistry is so delicate that if just one or two elements did not exist, everything would cease to exist. Other people — myself included — may find that the intricacy of a literary quote can mean so much even if the quote is short and minimal. People like what they like, and if they decide to share those interests, be respectful and listen, because you may learn that you really like those interests as well.
Lucie Drahozal is a Life Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at life@cavalierdaily.com.
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