 To Everything,
There Is A Season
Kimberly Chapple
Editor
One day last week, the leaves on the trees of my street
changed. In a day. When I left for work they were green; when I got home that night they
were yellow. No hint, no warning, just boom! there they were. Kind of unusual, I thought,
as I walked up the driveway. Then, like clockwork, out ran the kids to meet me. But my
3-year-old had grown three inches since I dropped him off at school and my 1-year-old was
shouting out 20 new words I swear she hadn't known when I left for the office that
morning. Huh? I stopped in my tracks. Looked at the leaves. Looked at the kids. Looked at
the leaves again. Looked at my watch. What day was it? Better yet, what month was
it? And how in the world did we enter this new season without me knowing about it? Did it
really happen in one day or did my own personal Twilight Zone episode have more to
do with my new 80-hour work weeks and lack of sleep thereof...
You see, eight weeks ago, my life changed when I joined the editorial staff of Designfax
and Medical Equipment Designer. I entered the world of design engineering, and
quickly became absorbed in elastomers, transducers, seals and switches--not to mention
readership surveys, on-line communications, team building and goal setting. Throw in a few
site visits, a trade show and a quick tour of NASA and--whew--there goes a season! The
world of design engineering--your world--moves extremely fast. I am proud to be a part of
it, as now it's my turn to give something back to those engineers, inventors and managers
who tremendously impact all of our lives on a daily basis. If the reader who built the
fetal monitor or otherwise supplied components that saved my son's life is reading this
column, thank you. To the manufacturer and designer of the new airbag switches, thank you.
This thank you list, of course, could continue and comprise all the pages of this
magazine, but I'll keep it short. I thank you all for what you do everyday to make this
world a better place. The work you do is incredibly important. I--and the entire Designfax
team--will repay you in kind and continue working diligently to bring you the latest
products, applications and technologies to help make your jobs (and your lives) a whole
lot easier.
As the seasons change, both literally and figuratively, I welcome your comments. As
editors, what more can we do to spark that next great idea, your next great solution? Let
me know before the last yellow leaf falls from the tree. Winter's here before you know it.
(kchapple@mail.aip.com)
Originally published in the November 1998 issue of designfax.
Please Note: some pictures or diagrams are only available through the printed media.
|