I was talking to my sister today about the people who happened to be in her life because of the job she works. She is a smart gal who was always the favorite of her teachers at school. She finished the school of dentistry, but decided that she didn't want to spend her life doing this job. So she found a job at a company which imports dental equipment mostly from Europe.  She is the only one in the company who can speak fluent English and with a common sense. The job she landed in made her deal with people who would not improve her in any way. She was the one who always elevated others to a certain level. Anyway, the conversation with her reminded me that how people around us influence our lives to a great extent. When I was in middle school or high school, people defined me as quiet and introverted. I was quiet alright, but it was because there wasn't many people around I enjoyed to talk to. I was definitely not an introverted person. I guess when you don't talk much, people put you in that category. I thought I didn't like talking much. Then I got into college. Finally I felt like I belonged to a place. I finally found the place that made me feel like I'm home. I found out that I'm not much of a quiet person at all. There were extremely smart people around me and being around them motivated and inspired me to improve myself even more. I was friends with people who were going to be the head of the country, CEOs of big companies, very successful musicians, writers, and scientists. I was in love with books, but I started reading even more. I liked music a lot, but I started learning more about music that increased the joy I get from music. I always liked reading about science, but I experienced how it is to be a part of it. I am so lucky to still have the people that I met in college in my life today. I wish I could tell the same thing for the people I met here. I'm extremely lucky to find the perfect guy to marry (even though he left me in Seattle), but the friends at school just don't match my real friends in any way. It is not a very nice thing to say, but I pity many of the people who surround me here. They are dull. 

Well, I shouldn't be to critical of them. Some of them are not as lazy as I am and I think they make more progress than I have been making at school. Well, I'm still ahead of them in the way in terms of my accomplishments. I think I need to keep the distance. Unfortunately, being academia is like being in a race. We always have to watch our backs to see if some one is approaching. That's been said, I think I should hit the bed with my book. I'm reading about how Obama won the election. It's exciting.