it's the edge of the world and all of western civilization

So we had a lab party tonight and I was affected by two very separate things: 1.) I spoke with this one lady who is a lab veteran, she had quit before I started (in other words, I really don't know her at all to make the judgements I'm going to make.. so yea, I'm already feeling guilty and I haven't even yet said what I'm going to say.....) She went back to school for clinical lab science, and got a job at the veterinary medicine labs, also at the U. She talked about her work very nonchalantly. Not real negative (yet), and not real positive. Passive. But eventually, it pretty much came out that she hates her new job, her heart aches for her old job at our lab, she is miserable, but..... she is making a lot more money. So she'll stay with it. One thing I didn't mention: she's old. I would say.. 63. She made the comment, "Well, what else am I to do? It's not like I could go to medical school at my age.." And it made me angry. Not at poor Lisa, no. At this fucking society. Because, I would like to think I could do anything I want. I could be a gardener, if that's what made me happy. I could be a scientist! Without getting roped into spending my life in a huge life-ruining corporation. Yea, there's not any money in it, but damn it! I'd be happy. But then, I want to be a doctor (and yes I acknowledge the fact that I may just never get to be a doctor, but that aside...) I won't have to worry about money. Yes, it costs a lot of money to go to med school. And yes, the health care reform will inevitably take money away from doctors (as it should!). But still, we will always need doctors, therefore, I will always have a job. But what if my dream career was to be a scientist. I would probably spend my life struggling (because damn if you ever catch me working for a big pharmaceutical company) to find work? Funding?.... food?...............shelter? Maybe I'd have a completely different outlook on the situation. Even if, say, I was my sisters and had gone to a private undergraduate education and sitting on tens of thousands of dollars in loans? Maybe I'd have a completely different outlook on the situation. And it's easy to say that I want to live a simple life: unglamorous, unextravagant. But that isn't even enough in this society! That poor lady is less than ten years from retiring and she is going to spend the last years of her working life in a job she hates, and why? So she can pay for her nursing home? Her hospital stays? The house in AZ? So her kids don't have to pay off her student loans? Life just sucks. On the other hand, my #2 for the evening was how much I adore my supervisor. She is German, loud, crazy, passionate, ridiculously smart, intolerant, assertive, strict, has wildly curly hair, drinks a lot, and.. I don't know what all. I think I like her because I don't see myself in her at all. Which is sad, I suppose. But, among those fun things, I didn't mention how much she cares about me. I think she does. I mean, I have been her student for a year and a half now, but really, we haven't been overly personal with each other, considering how long we've known each other. But I just know the way I feel about her, like I really really care about her. Like I would defend any and all of the crazy things she does. Like I would fight her fights. Like I have an ache in my heart to see her happy. Like when she talked about her nephew and the happiness didn't quite reach her eyes because (I'm sure of it) she wants children of her own. Moreover, she wants to find that person (yea, yea Rachael does have a heart! just because I don't believe in all of that doesn't mean I can't hope for it and believe in it for someone else).. Well anyways.. that's enough rambling for an evening I think..