Strings, Rings, and Other Things

There was an article in the LA Times today about Hamas breaking down the barrier wall separating Egypt and the Gaza Strip. I haven't followed the recent details of the conflict enough to have a clear opinion on the event, but nevertheless there were points raised in the article that just increased my frustration with the situation in the region.

It was mentioned several times that a number of top officials in Israel are actually coming to the conclusion that an open border there will be a good thing overall. The border wasn't ever that secure in the first place (too many tunnels, among other things), and access to Egyptian goods will relieve a lot of the pressure on Israel from humanitarian groups.

And that's what's crushingly disappointing about the way this went down. The population of Gaza in general is extraordinarily grateful and the Israeli leadership thinks it's a good thing (at least off the record). It's a win-win situation that improves life for everyone. And friggin' Hamas gets the credit. They let Hamas get the credit. The stubborn uncompromising, right-wing-hobbled idiots let Hamas get the credit. I'm not saying that the Palestinian population would have been singing Israel's praises the same way if the action had come from the other side, but this has all the appearance of a huge moral victory for Hamas.

Yesterday, Kim and I went to her grandfather's 90th birthday party, which was in fact something of a family reunion filled (as usual) with people squinting at each other thinking, "Do I know her?" Not long after getting there, I was chatting with a sixteen year old cousin when we were interrupted by a middle aged relative. She said a few words to him, and then looked at me and asked, "So, is this one of your friends?"

I've gotten surprisingly much of that recently. A week or two ago, I was carded when buying wine at the grocery store. And when I saw Professor Su at a Harvey Mudd event not long ago he exclaimed that I looked younger than I had when I was in his class. I'm torn as to what to think of it. On the one hand, it's pleasant to know that I haven't lost that youthful glow. But on the other, there's always a part of me that thinks, "Hey now! I've got a doctorate in string theory and I'm a professor of physics. Don't I get a little respect?" I guess I'm a bit more attached to that whole "social status" thing than I like to admit. (I was also bit too pleased when I saw the New York Times survey listing the highest status occupations: 1. Doctor, 2. Lawyer, 3. Physicist/Astronomer. I seem to be a little vain after all.)

One of the most interesting aspects of the experience yesterday, though, is the way in which that older relative broke into our conversation. She broke in right in the middle of a sentence, as if her desire to say hello was obviously more important than anything two sixteen-year-olds might be talking about. I don't recall being particularly aware of that behavior when I was younger, but I'm willing to believe that it's common. And that bugs me. I've always felt that as much as possible, kids should be treated just like any other person. As it was, I felt distinctly like I was being treated as an inferior. (The interrupting relative seemed a bit contrite when I introduced myself, but for me that just underscored how little she had respected our conversation before she knew I was an adult.)

On the other hand, there are situations where a clear difference in age and experience is pretty important. My youthful look leaves me uncertain that my students will automatically take me seriously, for example. I'm still working on how to strike the right balance there.