Stargazing

Yesterday, Dr. Norman Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Laureate, came to my school and lectured about the Green Revolution and the Gene Revolution. He worked with the CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) in Mexico, and once headed the International Wheat Improvement Program. He also taught in a number of universities in the US.

And he is my first Nobel prize winner!

At the beginning of his presentation, I was hanging on every word he said because I was afraid they might be his last words. He was speaking with apparent difficulty. This was probably because of old age (he is 8 year short of being a centenarian). But after some time, the flow of words were not strained anymore. He talked about how the Green Revolution and how it helped feed the people in famine. He talked about the problems that has remained unsolved and about their solutions.

It was a long lecture, but very informative.

But what struck me most wasn't the content of his lecture for I read about them already somewhere. What kept me listening was the vigor in his voice, and the contagious passion he has for his work, even at his age. He encouraged the audience, the students, to "reach for the stars, and never give in to mediocrity."

I was inspired.

After the lecture, we took a picture with him. Up close, he was just an ordinary old man, weathered by time and fortified with wisdom. And in his eyes, I saw that the flame is still there, burning.

He just re-ignited mine.