| Re: Thursday Chat 11.30.17 |
Subject: Re: Thursday Chat 11.30.17 by GRIS on 2017/11/30 17:40:45 SINCE WE’RE BEING ALL BIOGRAPHICAL, I’LL CHIP IN. MY DAD WAS FIRST GENERATION OFF THE FARM AND WORKED AS A HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENT. I WORKED ON THE ROAD ALL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. WHEN YOUR DAD’S THE BOSS YOU EITHER HAVE IT EASY OR GET THE SCUTT JOBS. MINE DIDN’T BELIEVE IN NEPOTISM :-) I WAS EXPECTED TO GO TO COLLEGE BUT IT WAS NO BIG DEAL UNTIL--- IT’S A LITTLE KNOWN FACT THAT THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS PASSES THROUGH PAYOLA OKLAHOMA. ON A JULY DAY IN THE OKLAHOMA SUNSHINE I WAS STANDING IN A HOLE IN THE HIGHWAY BETWEEN PAUL’S VALLEY AND PAYOLA BREAKING CONCRETE WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER. THE GUY IN THE HOLE WITH ME WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS OLDER, ALREADY MARRIED, AND HAD KIDS. I WAS SMITTEN WITH THE VISION: HE WILL NEVER GET OUT OF THIS HOLE. I DECIDED I WOULD. COLLEGE BECAME IMPORTANT. I DIDN’T HAVE AS MUCH FUN IN SCHOOL AS MARCUS DUE TO FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS. WORKED FACTORY JOBS IN THE SUMMER AND GOT $50 A MONTH AS A COMBINATION BOUNCER/PIANO POLISHER AT THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT, WHERE I SPECIALIZED IN SOPRANOS ;-) ALSO GOT SOME MONEY FROM ROTC MY JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR. MY BEST DOMICILE WAS A CONVERTED CHICKEN HOUSE JUST NORTH OF CAMPUS. LOCATION IS EVERYTHING. TEE, ONE OF MY HIGHLIGHTS WAS MAKING AN A IN TRIG AND AN F IN ALGEBRA THE SAME SEMESTER. HAD JUST ENOUGH MONEY FOR WHISKEY AND GASOLINE IF I DIDN’T EAT TOO MUCH. HAD FUN THOUGH. GRADUATED I JANUARY 66 WITH A BS IN PSYCH AND A COMMISSION. THERE WAS FULL EMPLOYMENT THAT YEAR AND BY NOVEMBER I WAS TOURING VIET NAM WITH THE BEST CAVALRY PLATOON SINCE BEDFORD FORREST’S ESCORT COMPANY. I HAD ALSO ACQUIRED A NEW CAR AND A NEW WIFE. 1966 WAS A GREAT YEAR. IN 1967 I GOT BLOWN UP. LIFE HAS ITS UPS AND DOWNS. GOT OUT OF THE ARMY IN 1976, WENT BACK TO SCHOOL, GOT MY MASTER’S TICKET PUNCHED, WENT TO WORK FOR THE VA AND LIVED HAPPILY EVER WHEN I RETIRED. TOMMY, I DID LIKE YOU AND PAID MY HOUSE OFF AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY. HUGE INCREASE IN DISPOSABLE INCOME. BABY DAUGHTER WENT TO PHARMACY SCHOOL TO HELP ME DISPOSE OF IT. MY ADVISE TO THE YOUNG IS AVOID DEBT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND GET OUT OF IT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. |
