Tag: college
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Middle Class
As I’ve written before a very long time ago a well meaning professor told the class I was in that a bachelors degree was a guaranteed position in the middle class for the rest of our lives. That to my ears was a tremendously crappy promise. Middle income earners in the US do most of…
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Officer Commission
I’m thinking about my time in the Army Reserve when I first became an adult. I was never a good soldier. I didn’t qualify on my rifle and I didn’t pass the physical training tests. I had trouble keeping my head down and my mouth shut. When a drill sergeant yelled in my face, “Don’t…
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A Product of my Generation
Like many in Generation X I was a solitary child. I have younger sisters but I was mostly expected to leave them alone while I was entertaining myself. I had a few friends here and there on the weekends and summer camp, but by and large I was allowed to take care of myself from…
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Not so nice dreams
Many years ago before I realized that in order to succeed at college being smart wasn’t enough, I failed out several times. I could blame it on depression or maybe just laziness, but the fact is I didn’t do the work. I don’t think I’m ever going to be sufficiently motivated to get a degree.…
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College Food
What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it? The first time I attempted college it was a very expensive school. An equally expensive meal plan was a requirement after tuition. I don’t know which meal cost the most because they all cost so much. But those meals were the…
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Sacralizing My Worldview
I grew up Episcopalian. My father, an Episcopal priest, more than anything taught me the moral lessons of the Bible. I also learned the Nicene Creed and the weekly confessional prayer by rote. But the miracles and the prophecies of the Bible were secondary. For instance the story of David and Goliath was presented as…
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Just Don’t Do It
What advice would you give to your teenage self? Don’t join the Army. Don’t go to Reed College. Don’t live in your parents’ empty house. Take care of your mental health. Don’t stalk Julie Slepikus. Get laid more often. But I wouldn’t listen to anybody in my teens so I probably wouldn’t listen to my…
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Mellow
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life? I was a very high strung little boy. My uncle nicknamed me Fred Smith because I reminded him of Federal Express. As I got older I learned to focus my nervous energy and got into choirs and theater. It was…
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College days
What colleges have you attended? I have attended Reed College in Portland Oregon. It’s sometimes called the Harvard of the West Coast. I was out of my league and got very depressed and failed out. I have also attended the University of Wisconsin on both the Rock County and Milwaukee campuses. If I’m not on…
Latter Day Sinner 