Mayfield: A timely reminder from the parents of a Nobel Prize recipient

I am a dad. That means I worry almost constantly about our kids.

This week, I met two lovely people who made me worry a tiny bit less about how I am doing as a parent.

You may have heard of Dr. David Baker. He’s a genius who works at the University of Washington (UW) on creating brand-new proteins. He was just awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work. He’s a pretty big deal.

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What you may not know is, long before he was a Nobel recipient, he was a kid in Seattle Public Schools. He went to Garfield High School and what was then Meany Junior High.

He also went to Montlake Elementary School, which just happens to be where my kids attend school right now.

I emailed Dr. Baker to learn more about his time at Montlake, and he introduced me to his mom, Marcia. It turns out that she and David’s dad, Marshall, still live in the same neighborhood — just a short walk from my home — in the very house where David grew up in the 60s and 70s.

Earlier this week, I walked over to visit with them. We talked about the school, the neighborhood, the city and all the changes they’ve seen over the years. We also talked about David as a young kid.

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Marcia told me that before school began, the family doctor was worried about David’s development. He wasn’t talking much and was slower compared to kids his age in key ways. Marshall recalled how David played soccer at the Montlake Community Center, but wasn’t very good.

Despite the worries about how he would do academically and athletically, David kept at it. He tried new things like chess and skiing. Then he discovered math and science and reading.

The Bakers told me their son blossomed once he found his place.

And, of course, we know now where all of this leads. Marcia said they were excited and so happy about the incredible honor for their son, but she also said that proud was the wrong word because she said it wasn’t something they had done.

Reflecting on the conversation later, I kept returning to the same thought. It was actually something Marcia and Marshall did. They supported and loved David no matter what. They let him develop at his own speed and be exactly who he was meant to be — a Nobel Prize-winning scientist.

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It seems like such a simple thing, yet as a parent in the middle of it all right now, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters.

I think as humans who are also in the middle of it all right now — parents or not — it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. So maybe let David, Marcia and Marshall’s story be a small reminder to be exactly who you want to be and find your own way to your own success — Nobel or otherwise.

Travis Mayfield is a Seattle-based media personality and a fill-in host on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his commentaries and stories here