I won't go into detail (because he never gave me any), but my step-dad, who kicked my and my siblings asses into reality, didn't fight communists scumbags in a jungle in Vietnam and other unnamed SE Asian countries for you to get your freaking craptasic liberal arts degree in "women's studies."
He went there in the vain hopes of providing and protecting your pampered asses a genuine shot at the American dream.
So you can appreciate it when he looks at today's "kids" majoring in "shit" face an underemployment rate of 50% and laughs his freaking ass off.
Don't like it that he's mocking you? Tough, because he didn't take a shrapnel hit, suffer dysentery, become a POW, and earn more medals than he will tell me he's earned (because he's a sneaky bastard and won't show me his files) just so you spoiled suburbanite brats could bitch and whine at the local pompous OWS club. He suffered more than most people did because he cared about an ideal and this country.
I'm drunk now and I ain't got much left to say. Because, well, tell me if you have a better guy than my step dad.
And I'm sure he fought to so the feds could plunders us stiffs some more:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/plunder_CrD9s6MElVsEIJj2IVgHuK
Maybe not better, but equal. Mine did one in Korea and 2 in VN. I grew up on Parris Island the son of a Drill Instructor. If you saw the movie The Great Santini, that was my Dad, only meaner. I loved him for it. He has moved on now, and is missed.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, my degree is in Engineering
What is most funny is that the 50% figure is for all college grads. Just think what the actual #'s are for the Sociology (etc) majors.
ReplyDeleteI find the example of the Creative Writing major who is working as a barrista especially sad.
ReplyDeleteIf I woke up in his shoes-I would immediately head for the oilfields of North Dakota. Not only would you make some decent money-you would have an adventure to write about. Plus, I imagine you would meet some pretty interesting characters. Most importantly (as a writer) you would have different experiences than all the other 23 YO writer/barristas out there. You could write your own niche.
What is most sad-is that such an action will likely never enter his mind.
I find the example of the Creative Writing major who is working as a barrista especially sad.
ReplyDeleteIf I woke up in his shoes-I would immediately head for the oilfields of North Dakota. Not only would you make some decent money-you would have an adventure to write about. Plus, I imagine you would meet some pretty interesting characters. Most importantly (as a writer) you would have different experiences than all the other 23 YO writer/barristas out there. You could write your own niche.
What is most sad-is that such an action will likely never enter his mind.
Well, Aaron, you seem to be at the head of a wave, fair enough as you have done a lot to make the wave. The latest Daily Beast has an article, "The 13 Most Useless College Majors":
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2012/04/23/the-13-most-useless-majors-from-philosophy-to-journalism.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=cheatsheet_afternoon&cid=newsletter%3Bemail%3Bcheatsheet_afternoon&utm_term=Cheat%20Sheet
And the Beast is liberal!
The choice can depend on love of the subject. I am thinking of three philosophy students/grads. One was from around 1973, and is now retired. He spent his life as a waiter and headwaiter. He was pretty good, and I think did well on tips (good waiters can make a lot). He regretted nothing. The second, said that there was no chance he would get a position in philosophy, but his father had a small farm, which he would take over as his father aged. The third was a waiter, and cheerfully acknowledged that that would likely be his career. He did want to go on in philosophy, but he distinguished sharply between hope and probability.
ReplyDeleteAll sensible people. The philosopher/farmer will probably end up prosperous.
But all three knew what the odds were, and accepted them.