Through a microscope lens (343/365)

December 9, 2015 – Another day discussing science and fish culture practices and having fun with fish. Life is so awesome when I get to look at the world through a microscope.

Being a one woman show for a five day workshop, and being away from home while doing it, makes for a long week. I am very tired. But the people make it worthwhile. So many great questions, so many great discussions, and some hot button topic debates, but those are always fun too, particularly when the people engaged have open minds to other sides of an argument. It doesn’t always work that way though.

One First Nations fellow jammed his hand in the air unexpectedly and came out swinging this afternoon in an open attack against salmon farming, but after a few minutes of discussion he listened to the other side and felt he’d received an acceptable second opinion that he needed to consider.

The white guy….not so much. He has had a bee in his bonnet and seems to desperately need me to side with him. The funny thing is that in many cases I am not disagreeing, I’m just expressing that there are other facets to the debate in question and that we don’t have all the answers or the data to show that some of the claims are true. So I can’t decide if he is trying to pick a fight with me, or if he is just looking for someone to agree with his opinions. Regardless, he doesn’t stop to chew on any of the responses and doesn’t take them into consideration, he rejects the facts as we currently know them. Thinking something doesn’t make it true, particularly when there is so much evidence to the contrary.

Either way, it wasn’t adding value to the topic at hand and the off topic sidebar wasn’t benefitting the others who had travelled here for the week. I’m sort of used to it, there always seems to be at least one in every class who wants to lash out at something they think is a terrible practice, but which they often are lacking the appropriate information on to make the judgement they have. There is an emotional attachment to their standpoint and it’s hard to let go of emotions once you’ve grabbed hold of them.

But we are all entitle to our opinions, and I usually let it go for a few minutes and suggest we get back to the material at hand and that if he/she wants to discuss opinions further then we can do it over a beer after we are finished for the day. Usually diffuses things and often leads to a beer and a great discussion in a less formal atmosphere.

Yesterday I was thinking “Gads, is it only Tuesday?”

Today I am thinking “It’s already Thursday tomorrow?”

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being welcomed into this community to do some teaching and engage in discussions about things that they feel are important to them and the environment they live in, and it’s always heartening when they want more information, and are open to hearing points that may be different from what they are used to hearing. The open mind is a beautiful thing.

It may rain like hell up here, but it’s a warm and welcoming world on the North/Central coast.

And it’s always awesome to get to spend time discussing how fantastic science is.

Life is so much fun sometimes! 🙂