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K. Roeder 115Since that year (1997) I have had many stretches of time wherein I received nopraise whatsoever. This gave me ample opportunity to regret my lack of joyat such a wonderful gift. Yet, with or without external validation, I continueto feel the greatest happiness when I see that an idea of mine has worked out.It is at these times I still think of Louis Pasteur and his wild passion to trythe rabies vaccine (illegally) and the thrill he must have felt when it worked.So many years later I cannot help but marvel on the randomness of lifeand the paths we take in our careers. That biology professor, probably uplate writing a grant proposal, may have shown the Pasteur movie because hedidn’t have time to prepare a lecture. And in some small way it launched myship. Just thinking about that movie inspired me to look for it on Wikipedia.Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was a successful Hollywoodventure. Indeed it was nominated for best picture. Had I known that this wasan award-winning movie, I never would have put so much stock in the personalmessage I felt it was conveying to me. And if I hadn’t, would I have had thesatisfying adventures of my career? Life is a mystery.