Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT
Senior Member
Username: rliebing
Post Number: 1387
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 - 08:29 am: |    |
130417
THE SECOND MEANING OF “RIPE”
by Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Cincinnati, OH
How “ripe” are you?
Never thought of this concept? Well, for a moment let’s see where we are.
Ripe has several closely related meanings, so let’s call them “the first meaning”;
ripe
adj. rip•er, rip•est
1. Fully developed; mature: ripe peaches.
2. Resembling matured fruit, as in fullness.
3. Sufficiently advanced in preparation or aging to be used or eaten: ripe cheese.
4. Thoroughly matured, as by study or experience; seasoned: ripe judgment.
5. Advanced in years: the ripe old age of 90.
OK, surely you fit into at least one of these, as a mature, and experienced adult specifications writer. So we can say without reproach that you are, indeed, RIPE! [in one way of another]
But what about the “second meaning of “ripe”? Do you qualify there? Oh, here we mean “ripe” as:
Fully prepared to do or undergo something; ready: “By 1965 the republic was ripe for a coup” (Alex Shoumatoff).
Sufficiently advanced; circumstances are amicable; opportune: The time is ripe for great societal changes.
Are you ready for tomorrow? Are you ready for the next manufacturer’s rep that drops in with a new and revolutionary product, system or material? Are you ready to learn more things; different aspects of things you already know; new ways to accomplish old things, etc.?
Flatly, are you ready to be a student again, in continuing education? If you are a registered professional you may already be under the necessity to accomplish some hours of ConEd to get your registration renewed; you had better be “ripe” for that! Always ready i.e., ripe!] to do something new and different?
Well, the easy conclusion is that we all MUST become ripe, like it or not. We need to engage and participate in continuing education-- some as instructors who can share good “stuff” and insight; many more as students updating, upgrading, and learning anew. To be successful on a continuing basis we must learn continually, as things these days change, evolve and appear instantaneously almost we need to stay ahead of the learning curve.
Remember, as specification writers we are perceived [and most of us really are!] as deep wells of knowledge, insight, and experience, in place to guide others in new and better ways, avoiding cow patties, and quagmires in practice, documentation and construction.
To teach, to do, to find problems and resolve them, to create, provide, communicate and inform, we need to be taught and informed-- most frequently just to keep abreast of things in-place [and things new-to-the-market] and methods, methods, equipment and techniques. Take advantage of as much ConEd as you can—it will benefit you and those around you.
And by the way, we have chosen to ignore the third definition of “ripe’; emitting a foul odor, especially an odor of excess ripeness, rotting, out-of-date, spoiled, “yesterday news” or other deterioration.] Don’t need to, but enhance things if we did go “another route, too”! And we fully aware of many others in our industry who certainly are “ripe” and in real need for education-- and we do have a part to play in that-- at ALL levels. |
4specs.com Home Page