Tag: college

Growth

Daily writing prompt
Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.
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You want one? How about I give you two? Maybe even two and a half? I’m crazy like that. Also, the stuff that I give you today also happen to be things that I’ve written about in daily prompts very recently so… yeah. Repetition is good for growth and shit. I don’t know, whatever.

First, we travel back in time to the 20th century. The early 1990’s saw a certain tall red head dropping out of college. A dumb ass move, for sure, but at the time it was the only move that made sense to me. A job followed, then a year in a tech school, followed by a failure to get a job in that field, followed by a crap job in a warehouse. That’s when we get to the point of the decision that helped me learn and grow. I was making like $8.00/hour working in a retail chain’s warehouse as the guy in charge of customer returns and I just got fed up and decided to give college another try. This time I wouldn’t be a music major, this time I would take classes that might actually lead to a job someday. Going back to school was the big decision, but a secondary decision was to rig my classes so that I started from as close to the lowest level math subject that my new school would allow me to take. My primary hang up the first time through college was my shitty math skills, and the second time around I was going to major in a study that leaned heavily on math. I put myself into the lowest level course I could and basically started from scratch. It totally paid off. By the time I was through the mathematical pipeline I was acing high level courses and it felt great.

The second growth worthy decision happened on May 20, 2008. Jen and I were in the little postage stamp sized back yard at the duplex we were renting, cooking dinner on our gas grill. I reached a point where I just couldn’t stand waiting anymore and I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She said yes. Best. Decision. Ever. That lead to me learning how to be a husband, learning how to be a better human, learning how to be an adult, learning how to be a step father, learning how to be really happy, and basically learning how to be me at my best. Like I said, best decision ever.

The extra bonus decision is the choice to pursue weight loss surgery. I don’t know how much actual learning and growing have come from it. That’s probably a question for future Rob to ponder. It’s been two years (almost) but I will need more time to pass before I can pin down exactly what the differences are, apart from the number on the scale of course. That and the sizes on my clothes.

So there you go, folks. Two plus answers to the question of the day. No surprises here. Hope you all have a good Wednesday, unless you are reading this at some point in the future, in which case here’s hoping you’re having a good whatever weekday it happens to be on your timeline. Good day.

Epic Fail

Daily writing prompt
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
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I finished high school in June of 1989 and started college that September. I was a music major with an emphasis in sound recording technology. Basically, that was music crossed with electrical engineering. The core course work included two semesters of calculus and one of physics. Therein lied my problem.

Coming out of high school, my math skills were flat out awful. I was unprepared for college level classes which meant I was unable to pass calculus, and given that calculus is the foundation of a lot of physics, I was hosed there too. There was more to it than that. I was also just not in a place mentally where I could handle school anymore. I needed a break.

All of that lead to me dropping out of college. I couldn’t do it at that time. Academically or emotionally. That was my failure. College, the first time around.

I followed that experience with a job, and then a tech school and a certification in a field where I was unable to get a job, which was followed by a shitty job in a warehouse for garbage money. When I couldn’t take it any more I went back to school.

All of that is what lead to my eventual success. I majored in computer science. Another field that required a strong math background. I went into it knowing that I had to strengthen my basic skills. I told my first academic advisor that I was going to start at the lowest math course available. I had taken a placement test that said I could start a little further along. I said no and started at the bottom. I then studied my ass off at each level. By the time I was hitting my upper level computer science courses I had aced three semesters of calculus and two semesters of physics.

Success, babie. Take that, failure. Suck my awesome grades.

After graduation I got a job in the field. Not the best job. Not a development position. I figured I’d worm my way into a development position, but then never did. I stayed in client services and moved into management. I’m still there.

It’s Just a Phase

Daily writing prompt
Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.
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I’m having a tough time coming up with an answer to this question. I can’t think of any phase of my life that was difficult to say goodbye to. Every time some major life period ended, there was something better waiting in the wings to replace it.

High school was replaced with college and even though the first time around in college was a mess, it was so much better than high school.

College the first time ended long before I wanted it to and getting a full time job afterwards was anything but a positive experience, at that time though college was becoming a nightmare and it had to end. I couldn’t figure out how to move forward academically, apart from starting from scratch, so I put it aside for a few years… and then started from scratch.

Graduating from college and moving into a career… you’d think that would have been tough to say goodbye to, but really I was ready for it. I had been a student for a long time and I used to joke that I was really a career student. By the time I graduated though, I was ready for that phase to end and I welcomed what came next.

I was depressed when my 20’s ended and became my 30’s. I didn’t want them to end, but I was already so low that I wasn’t sad to see them go. I was, but at the same time, not really. You know? My 30’s started out bad but I was 36 when I met Jen and 38 when we got married. Once I had started a life with her I was ready for whatever the universe could throw at us. I looked forward to time passing and phases… phasing. I was sad to see my 40’s end, but only because I don’t want to be old. I accepted that I was already old though so it didn’t actually change anything.

So I guess the answer to this question is that I never really had a phase in my life end that I had a difficult time saying goodbye to. Sorry if that’s a lame answer. I guess I am just a super mature dude who is able to roll with the changes, as the song says. Maybe I should pat myself on the back for that.

Reality vs 90210

My beloved wife is binge watching the shit out of Beverly Hills 90210. Since I am such a good husband, I am watching it with her. In season four there is a story line that does not line up to my personal experiences. Allow me to explain.

For three years I was a college radio DJ. 2002-2004 or so. Something like that. Maybe 2001-2004? Whatever. I had a show on UMass Lowell’s radio station. Once a week on Tuesday afternoons. It was a great time.

On the show, one of the 90210 gang also has a college radio show of his own. Outside of that, things aren’t really similar. For me, there was never a time when I opened a random desk and found a packet of crystal meth just sitting there. That literally never happened. I never even found a packet of sugar in a desk. Maybe it was just a California vs Massachusetts thing, but David 90210 and I had vastly different college radio experiences.

Happy Thoughts: Follow Up

This is a follow up to the previous post. I don’t have any details but I am hoping I will get to learn more when I get home tonight.

Here’s what I do know…

Bellana defended her senior thesis paper this morning and it went well. How well did it go? The one specific piece of information I have is that she got an A.

Kick ass! Damn, my step daughter is brilliant! There was never a doubt that she would excel in this regard. I had full confidence that she would slay the review board.

If you were kind enough to send her your happy thoughts this morning, I thank you. Though really… she didn’t need it. She’s a freakin’ genius after all.

Graduation is a little more than two weeks away. I am so proud. I can’t even put it into words, I am so proud.

Excellent job, Bellana.

It’s Only Thursday?

Going into the office on Tuesday this week has melted my brain’s internal calendar. Yesterday felt like Friday but it was only Wednesday. Today is Thursday and it feels like Friday too. Shit.

This weekend is going to be emotional. Harry comes back from a week at his dad’s tomorrow. Then we have the whole day on Saturday. Then at the crack of dawn on Sunday we move him back to school in Vermont.

I miss the kids when the they go to their dad’s for a night or two. Last year was rough with both of them away at school. We only had Bellana back for a few weeks this summer, but we’ve had Harry for the better part of three months. It’s going to be hard seeing him go again.

He’s moving into a new dorm this year and he’ll be in a suite with a bunch of friends. That’s going to be a great experience. He has some interesting classes on his schedule. He’s going to be challenged but he is also going to enjoy himself. A little piece of me is jealous, but I’ve already been there so not really. I am excited for him but I am also going to miss him. The empty nest is looming again and it just makes me sad.

The drive to school takes us past the town Jen and I stayed in on our wedding night. Maybe we should drive through on our way home and try to sort of cheer ourselves up. Who knows.

Until then, I have a Thursday that feels like a Friday to get through. Wish me luck.

Unplanned Road Trip

I may be making an unplanned drive up to Vermont this week. Possibly soon.

Harry’s laptop has suffered a tragic accident and may be on laptop-death’s door. There is a strong possibility that I might have to run a replacement up to him. Not sure yet, but I gave work a heads up I might have to bolt with little to no notice.

If only his school let Freshmen keep a car on campus. He would have already been here and been halfway back by now.

Oh, the webs the universe weaves.

Is My UMass Lowell Athletics Boycott Over?

From 2000 to 2004 I had my second stint as a student at UMass Lowell. During that time I had a show on the school’s radio station. We tried to run a talk show and for a while there it worked pretty well. We had segments with the head coaches of the men’s hockey and basketball teams. The hockey spots in particular were a lot of fun. A few times we had the director of athletics on as well.

It ended when the director of athletics sold out the station to the local newspaper. When the bullshit went down I vowed that as long as that director worked for the university to not have anything to do with the athletics department or the paper again. I think it’s been 18 years and I’ve stuck to that vow.

I almost broke it two years ago. Maybe bent more than broke. We were going to go to a UML at Vermont game with Bellana. I don’t remember why, but we didn’t get to the game.

When I found out Harry was in the Vermont pep band I thought about trying again. Obviously Covid will keep us away, but I still googled the UML athletics department staff. None of the people involved with fucking my radio station were there. I googled the director’s name and found that he retired in 2018.

I am free to follow my alma mater’s hockey team again.

I’m still never reading that shit rag of a newspaper though.