If it can happen, it will happen...

If it can go wrong, it will go wrong--that's Murphy's Law.  My experiences today support Murphy's claim.  For those of you who don't know, I am going to attend a research internship program in MIT's magnet laboratory, sponsored by Boston University's High School Honors Program.  Today, was my first day at BU (I'm a commuter, but I still have to do things there). One of the first things we did was get "Terrier Cards" which allow us into the dorm, get food at the cafeteria, etc.  I had to go outside, walk a ways, and go down some stairs into an underground place, where I filled out a form and had a picture taken of me, and then they gave me my card.  When I got back to the dorm--three connected tall, ugly buildings called Warren Towers--I found that my card did not work.  The guard told us that our cards had to be activated.  To do this, we would have to go around the block to some other building, where they activated the cards.  But first, it was almost time for orientation, so we went there, and decided to do the activating later.  Now, I am usually a prepared person.  If there is even the slightest chance of rain, I will usually have an umbrella with me.  I often appear silly carrying umbrellas on sunny days, but when it starts raining, everyone looks at me with envy.  However, I decided not to bring an umbrella to BU because I thought it would be inconvenient to carry around with me, and I would probably be inside for most of the time, anyway.  Well, I was.  But when the time came when I did have to go out for a short walk to the activation building, I saw to my dismay a huge, dark cloud quickly spreading across the sky.  Perhaps I could go before the rain started, I mused.  A few other boys with the same problem came with me, and we rushed out of the dining room, down the elevator.  Alas, the rain had started, and was coming down in torrents.  We had no defenses, and simply had to get wet.  Some girls were ahead of us, seemingly with the same activation problem, also getting wet.  At one point, one of the boys with me turned around.  The other boy and I followed him stupidly.  No, that was not the way in.  So we turned around again.  Then we turned around again.  At last, one of us suggested that maybe we should follow the girls.  "Yes, girls are smart," another of us commented.  

So we found our way into the activation building, soaking wet, and got our cards activated. When I got back to Warren Towers--what did you expect?--my card still did not work.  Neither did the other commuter's, who was with me.  "This seems like a conspiracy against commuters," my companion mused.  We asked the Program Assistant about the problem.  He said we probably swiped the card to fast, or in the wrong position.  Well, I guess Program Assistants are never very useful.  Of course, we had to try his advice, and of course, it didn't help.  So we asked one of the program's authorities, and he said that since we were commuters, the cards didn't let us in, but they would fix that tomorrow.  For now, we had to listen to the police officers talk.  The policeman turned out to be funny.  "We don't want you carrying these around," he said, and held up a gun.  "Or one of these" (holding a mace).  "You don't need one of these to go into Boston" (holding a pocket knife)...."If you can tell me a legal reason to use one of these, I'll give you $50" (holding up a drug pot)  "I've heard everything, including flower pot."  

After the policemen talked, we had to go to a meeting on our floor (commuters are assigned to floors for community bonding purposes).  The rooms were like prison cells, the hall like a prison hall, the common room not very interesting.  The chairs were taken up, so I decided to sit by the wall.  Well, what do you know?  I chose just the spot to hit my tailbone on an outlet sticking out of the wall like a brick.  We had to tell interesting things about ourselves, and one boy said, "I've been hit by lightning.  Well, I guess it was my fault--I was under a tree, holding an umbrella with a metal rod." "What did it feel like?" asked the Program Assistant.  "I didn't feel anything; I just woke up."  I suppose there is some truth to Murphy's Law.

-Philip