I'm not much of a science person, but physics holds a special place in my heart. Somewhere back in the hazy realms of middle or late elementary school, possibly in a fourth grade science unit that I vaguely remember involving wheels and rubber bands, my classmates and I were introduced to a man by the name of Sir Isaac Newton.
Back in ye olden times, Sir Isaac developed some laws that are now Indisputable Facts of How the World Works, and I'm sure they're actually more complicated than my fourth grade memories of them. It seems like the only one anyone ever remembers is the third one of the three -- for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction -- or at least that's the one that's most often quoted for whatever reason. His second law is the only one that can be crammed into three letters and a symbol -- f = ma -- although it doesn't make a lot of sense unless you know what the symbols mean. His first law is the law of a fancy physics term called inertia -- an object in motion remains in motion and an object at rest remains at rest unless a force acts upon it.
Wikipedia tells me that Newton was a "physicist and mathematician," but I think the name people would've attached to him back in his day describes it better -- a "natural philosopher." (Side note: I know natural philosophy was an actual area of study, but I'm looking at this as an English major, not a philosophy historian.) Sure, Newton studied lots of science-y things, but I think his laws go beyond wood on wheels rolling across classroom floors and blocks sliding or not sliding down ramps on desks. They're surprisingly applicable to other things. Like life.
Take his first law: an object in motion remains in motion and an object at rest remains at rest unless a force acts upon it.
I mowed my grandparents' lawn today. It sat in the shed until I opened the doors, turned it on, released the brake, and pushed down on the gas pedal. Friction and lack of energy slowed it to a stop when I lifted my foot. Newton's first law in action: an object at rest remained at rest until a force acted upon it, and once it was in motion, it remained in motion until a force acted upon it. Physics. It works.
I stopped by the grocery store to grab something for my sister on the way home, and I happened to bump into my cousin there. When I mentioned I'd just finished mowing Grandpa and Grandma's lawn, he asked if I'd be willing to do his since he wouldn't have time this weekend. I'd been up since before seven that morning, and in that time I'd cleaned a bit, gotten some things ready for next semester, spent over two hours driving, mowed one lawn, and scoured the grocery store for some random chocolate for my sister's baking project. The past two days I'd been cleaning and doing yard work. I wouldn't have time to mow his lawn later in the weekend; I was already babysitting. I'd only have time tonight. Tired as I was, I thought "why not?" and agreed to do it. And after dinner, I went over did it.
An object in motion remains in motion unless a force acts upon it.
Motivation is oddly like physics. A person (or at least an Erin) in motion tends to remain in motion. A person making progress wants to keep making progress. A person at rest tends to remain at rest. A person making no progress (or being lazy or bored, to paraphrase a favorite band of mine) has a hard time getting motivated to start making progress. Some days I get a lot done, and those days are when I have the motivation to keep getting things done. Other days... not so much.
I find it interesting the ways human nature and the natural world reflect each other. So intricately designed and connected that even art and science meet. It seems I can't escape the mysterious beauty of that even after I've taken my last science class.
I don't think I'd want to, either.
