Art or Engineering?

A thought hit me while running in Madeira the other day…art or engineering?  This thought was not me questioning my career choice, but a contemplation in regards to the beauty of God's creation.  As I experience the exotic places that I visit I can't help but have a split reaction.  Part of me views the beauty of the World as a work of art.  Meanwhile, the engineer in me can't help but look at the structure of a palm tree and see it as an engineering marvel, an intricate balance of biology and physics.  So which one is it?  Is it art, or is it engineering?  I like to think that it is both.

My travels so far have affirmed this thought.  From the rocky shores of Road Island, to the mountains of Bar Harbor, Maine and La Palma, the combination of art and science is more than evident.  While it's physics that keeps the mountains from falling over, it must be God's artistic touch that gives them their beauty.  Although art and engineering are often thought of as contrasting areas of study, it is within the realm of nature that the two mesh together so beautifully.  In fact, they seem to depend on one another.  Separate the two and the World just wouldn't be the same.


Perhaps the same is true for human beings.  Like the other elements of nature, we too must value the art of balance.  Despite the fact that life gets busy and hectic at times, it is important that we find a way to even things out.  With this said, I am no expert at implementing such a practice.  In fact, I oftentimes end up chasing far too many rabbits and running myself a bit (or a lot) ragged (sorry Coach Bowers, but as much as you may have tried to teach us not to chase two Rabbits, this is a lesson that I am yet to master).  My struggle with balance, however is not a failure.  As my college Coach, Dave Warth, drilled into me, you can look at things as a burden or an opportunity.  Hence, I must look at my lack of balance as an opportunity to even out the scales.