accidentalwriter

How did I not know this before? I’ve finished the entire manuscript and I’m doing a massive edit of the entire work. How did I not know that one of my characters – one of my very, very favorite characters – with whom I’ve had many extraordinary conversations – was gay?

I could blame it on what straight people call “gay-dar” – I’ve never had it a day in my life. I was the only person on the planet that was totally shocked to find out that Queen Latifa, Wanda Sykes, and John Barrowman (still not sure I believe that one) are all gay. In doing a little name gathering for this post, I’m reeling at the news that Barney Frank, Jane Lynch, Jodie Foster (!?!), Anderson Cooper, and Ian McKellan are all also gay. Who knew? I sure as heck didn’t.

Now, let me digress for a brief moment. I believe my “lack of gay-dar” is due in large part to my complete lack of concern about another person’s sexual preference. As long as you’re not trying to sleep with my man, do what you or who you want. Anyway, back to my character.

I didn’t know he was gay because it has no bearing on the story. I was editing yesterday and wondered why he was wearing purple pajamas. I’d written it in months ago, but never questioned it. I do remember trying to make him the love interest of another main character later on in the story, but it just didn’t feel right so I edited that immediately. I had no idea it was because he had no interest in women – not in that way, anyway. I just figured it wasn’t right for the story – an unnecessary subplot – and I gave up on making them a couple.

As I read that line again yesterday, I asked myself why he was wearing purple pajamas. Cue chirping crickets. I had no flipping idea why he was wearing purple pajamas. So I did what any writer worth their salt should do in this situation – I asked him why the hell he was wearing purple pajamas.

He was quick to inform me that those weren’t just any purple pajamas, those were purple silk pajamas made from Chinese silk. And he said it with a mischievous grin.

And I said, “Oh.”

And he grinned wider.

And I said, “You’re gay.”

And he said, “It’s about time you noticed.”

Today’s lesson boys and girls – listen to your characters and notice when they’re wearing purple pajamas. They might be trying to tell you something. Does it matter to my story? Not at all. Does it help me understand my character and make me a better writer? I believe it does.

Allow me to lay my writer’s hat aside for a moment as I embrace my other personalities, the scientist and the educator. If you haven’t read my “About Me” page, you may not know I am both of these things in addition to being an Accidental Writer.

When I was in the classroom I began each year with the same question, “What does a scientist look like?”.

I would put a large piece of white butcher paper on my board and draw a circle on it to represent my scientist’s head. From there, I only drew what my students told me to draw. Each and every year I had some version of the same geeky scientist with freaky hair standing in a laboratory wearing safety goggles and a white lab coat. He often had one of those horrible pocket protectors too.

I always followed up with the same questions, every year.

“Why is the scientist a male?”

“Why is he in a lab?”

“Why is he Caucasian?”

Every year my students were shocked to realize that their preconceived notions of what a scientist is, what they look like, and where they work were seriously lacking.

But I never mentioned Steve Jobs. And by not mentioning Steve Jobs, I feel I seriously failed my students. There is a fine line between science and technology. They are intricately woven together, but still somehow separate in the minds of many in the scientific community. Did my own preconceived notions of who and what a scientist is prevent me from using Steve Jobs as an example in my classroom? Ouch.

My personal science hero is Albert Einstein who is attributed to the quote, “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.”

No matter what side of the science versus technology debate you side with, everyone agrees Steve Jobs was a major giant in our time. Here was an opportunity for me to pull up a picture of this man in front of my students and say, “Here is a man working in a field of science who has changed the way our entire planet communicates and he makes more money than any actor, actress, singer, rapper, or movie star you can name.” I failed to give them another giant’s shoulders to stand on.

When we think if important scientists we think if Charles Darwin, Aristotle, Leewenhoek, Louis Pasteur, Albert Einstein, Madame Curie, Nikola Tesla, Benjamin Franklin, Isaac Newton, and Jane Goodall. These scientists are the Kobes, Shaqs, Beckhams, and Peyton Mannnings of the science world and yet only one of them is currently living.

How can we inspire our nation’s youth to pursue any avenue of science without giants for them to learn from, look up to, and dream about? To my former students, please accept my sincere apologies. I hope you will take the time to view what I should have shown you in class. Please click this link. May you always follow your curiosity and your intuition.

It is a sad day for the world of technology and the world of science. For Steve Jobs, and all the other giants who came before him, I take my lab coat off to you today. Thank you for your genius and your contributions to our world and society.