Passion’s Power
Dr. Martin Webster | TLT President's Report September 2015
The determination of one committed individual is often the difference between success and failure.
Dr. Gareth Fish (left) with The Lubrizol Corp. was one of many STLE members who volunteered to work with high school students at the society’s May STEM Camp in Dallas.
I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE ALL HARD WIRED TO RECOGNIZE PASSION IN OTHERS. It reveals itself in our facial expressions, tone of voice and gestures. In my experience, passion is one of the key ingredients to success, whether it be a project, a hobby or pastime—or even in our relationships. I have seen many projects driven home to successful conclusions that may have been doomed if it wasn’t for the passion of a few people who were determined to make it work.
I have recently witnessed an example of passion wielding its magic powers close to home. My 22-year-old son Thomas is currently at home while attending courses at a local college. Realizing that most of his friends would be away for the upcoming semester, my wife and I thought that for his Christmas present we would find something that would interest him and provide a fun pastime. After some thought we decided that home-brew beer-making equipment might be a good solution. Fortunately we have a very good home-brew store nearby so I managed to put together all that was needed to get Thomas started.
Christmas day arrived and Thomas opened the first part of his present. Once he realized the theme, Thomas eagerly opened the remaining items. I could see it in his eyes; we had hit the mark. I am sure all parents can relate to the feeling you have when you know you’ve found something that your offspring are passionate about.
A few weeks later father and son set about making their first brew together. I had brewed beer before during my own college days, so I was looking forward to showing Thomas the ropes. However, I soon found myself being gently chastised for not taking adequate sanitizing precautions during the initial set up. It was clear that I was not going to be the teacher here but, rather, the helper following Thomas’ instructions. He had read every detail of the process and had it all planned out. A few hours later our first brew was safely bubbling away in its fermentation vessel. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a raised eyebrow from Thomas’ mother as she witnessed his meticulous and orderly clean-up of the kitchen that was used for this inaugural brew. Hitherto, this had not been one of Thomas’ strong suits. Clearly something had changed!
Over the last few months Thomas’ brewing skills have expanded in leaps and bounds. He progressed from beer-making kits to custom recipes and now brews from scratch using only dry ingredients. He is well known at our local brew shop, and our supper time conversation has a whole new vocabulary. I have lost count on how many brews have been completed. However, all have succeeded in producing a very drinkable product, which is more than can be said for my own half-hearted efforts all those years back!
I have seen the tell-tale look of passion elsewhere, often in the eyes of our volunteer leaders that run our local sections or national committees and councils. During the 70th Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Dallas, I was heartened by the large number of folks who came up to me and asked how they can volunteer to help and get more involved with STLE. If you are lucky enough to be near an active local section, be aware that it’s likely looking for help. Organizing sessions at either of our two national meetings is another way.
If you are interested in volunteering, let me or the staff at STLE headquarters know. I guarantee you we have ideas on how to put your passion to work.
Martin Webster is a senior research associate for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering in Annandale, N.J. You can reach him at martin.n.webster@exxonmobil.com.