Talk #280

It is truly uncanny that we LIghters have a definite ESP (extra-sensory perception) between us. While reading the German song piece and thinking about my trip on APL's President Wilson in June '59. I don't remember that particular song. I do remember the small band's name "Les Brown". How sad it is if one were to replace Sailor by Engineer, ocean by company, ship by work; the song would fit me like a glove. You see, I have been the mentor to a young lady engineer for the past three and half years. She's one of the few in the accelerated career development program that the company
initiated when it was AlliedSignal. She was recruited from a business school outside Phoenix AZ. It is well-known for international business management. She also has an engineering degree from UCLA in MANE (mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering). Her first two rotations
are in turbomachinery, first on Boeing 737 NG environmental control systems and second mechanical design. We have co-authored a paper for ASME-IGTI Turbo-Expo '98 in Sweden that the company decided to withdraw for business reasons. The same paper will be presented at an AIAA meeting in September '00. She was co-inventor on one patent application. Although she has many admirers, I am kind of special to her. When her parents came down from Santa Barbara to visit her at the office. They stopped by my office to chat. The mother was very diplomatic in asking me how long I've been with the company? She'll be 30 this coming August and the company wants her last rotation in corporate business at Morristown, NJ for two years starting May 1. She told me the news last Tuesday and mentioned that they stated flatly if she refuses this assignment there will not be a second time. The company will chalk it up as she has her own doubts to do non-technical or non-engineering things. She can pick the last rotation in Torrance and say good-bye to a career. I, of course, encouraged her to go. I told her that I was the happiest old engineer the last three and half years, and there is a Chinese saying that "under the sky, there is no unending feast". We are
lucky to run into each other for 10% of her life, and much less of mine. My son and daughter tried to cheer me up by saying that may be the company will bring in another young lady engineer to replace her. At my age, I don't think I want that.