Happy Birthday Megan!

You may be asking yourself, who is this Megan to whom I am wishing a happy birthday. As an older brother with a pulpit to the world, I feel an obligation to brag on my little sister on this, her (counting in my head and on my fingers . . . now out loud . . . now I’m calling my dad to check my math . . . yes, I was right! Go Mike!) twenty-fifth birthday.

Where to begin, work or play? Let’s start with play. Some ten years ago, while I was thoroughly addicted to Ultimate Frisbee (before Wham-O made the game drop the ‘Frisbee’ part for copyright reasons), I taught Megan how to throw a disc. Of course, my motivation was likely selfish: to have someone to throw with, but I had no idea what cage I was unlocking.

When Megan went off to the University of Illinois to study Aerospace Engineering (more on that later), she apparently minored in Ultimate. She played on both the co-ed team and the girl's team, one of which got within one win of making it to Nationals. She continued playing while earning her masters, always improving her throws; her hammer, a throw in which the disc is thrown up-side-down with an arm motion similar to throwing a football, is awesome! After using up her college eligibility, she found a club team or two to play on. She made the cut on one that had been to Nationals and was on the team when it again went to Nationals.

She also coached the Illinois girl's team as they made it to Nationals. While there, she was invited to play on an alumni team (not just Illinois alumni, Ultimate alumni) in an exhibition game against Team USA. While the alumni team lost 15-2, Megan proudly recounted to all who would hear how she had thrown one of their teams two scores. My dad, equally proud, still tells how another coach yelled to the girl Megan was guarding, asking why she wasn’t running as hard as usual. He then enlightened those around him by finishing his thought, “because every time she does, Megan shuts her down.”

Megan has now graduated from the University of Illinois with a Masters in Aerospace Engineering. She got a job in Texas working for Space X, the first private company to put a vehicle in orbit from the ground. Her job? As best I understand it, she tests rockets. . .

Now, I wouldn’t be a true big brother if I didn’t point this out. While we all think of rocket scientists (yep, that’s what she is) as the pinnacle of western society, I have seen Megan’s mental capacity stressed beyond its limits. What great problem or riddle am I speaking of, that could test the prowess of one so intelligent? A baby gate! That’s right, Megan couldn’t figure out how to open the baby gate at the top of our stairs. That fact is a fair consolation to all our other guests who find themselves struggling with the same gate. “Don’t worry; my Rocket Scientist sister couldn’t open it either.”

So I end this with birthday wishes from all the family. Mollie and I wish her the best, but she really won’t care. Samwise bays a doggie version of the day's song, but it will fall on deaf ears. But when she learns that Andrew and Annaliese also send their love and wish her a happy birthday, her heart will melt and she will, at least for a moment, have the best birthday ever.