It is both puzzling and fascinating to me when I hear pre-college age students who have a very clear vision of where they are going to college, what they are going to study, and how they are going to build a résumé (extracurricular activities, volunteer work, etc.) that will benefit them when they submit their college application.
I had none of that.
As a young kid, I wanted to be a truck driver. Later, our family moved to a 40-acre farm and my dad bought some livestock — pigs, cows, horses, even a few sheep. I wanted to be a veterinarian. And that stuck for a while. I took high school science classes designed for students pursuing a medical degree. But then I assisted my dad with pig castrations, helped sows give birth, and talked to a livestock vet — I did not want to be a veterinarian. Nope.
Industrial Arts in high school was a favorite of mine. It was woodworking, drafting, automotive, metal work, electrical, and some electronics. I was good at all of those things. It was all good ol’ Manual Labor. But this was years before Mike Rowe and “Dirty Jobs.” I did not realize I could go to trade school and learn to use those skills toward making a living. Nope.
The military? In high school, when I was sixteen, I did take a test, a precursor to enter the United States Air Force (the only branch I would consider). I passed the test — so the recruiter told me, and he (the recruiter) would like to talk to me about a career in the USAF. To be honest, I think everyone passed that “test” — and, me? I was not a “group guy.”
So, it was a four-year liberal arts school for me.
I had two uncles who were graduates from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Our small rural church promoted the university. Other schools were briefly discussed but I ended up in South Carolina. I took all of the required tests and submitted my application — and I was accepted.
This is when it gets weird.
Broadcast Engineering is how I started out. It was mostly electronics and very little actual broadcasting.
Then it was Cinema — “cinema” was just an umbrella term for “film school.” My guess is BJU felt “film school” sounded too secular and, as students, we were not allowed at movie theaters where “films” were shown. The word “cinema” used to refer to these same theaters — but that was the 1930s. The word was no longer commonly used.
So, there I was. Cinema major, English minor, concentrations in electronics and computer science.
Chicago area, I worked for Data Products servicing computers and associated hardware.
Then, down I-55, graphics for an aftermarket automotive company.
Head Photographer for a book publisher and college.
Plant Manager for a large photo lab.
The “I.T. Guy” at a prestigious local law firm —
And that’s where I am now.
Looking back, I am surprised that much of what I learned was ultimately useful at some point. Can’t say it’s been painless and I wouldn’t recommend the same swerving, unplanned path that I took to anyone else, but it was my journey — my band of blunders.