3 College Grads

Well...my youngest son graduated from Miami University in May. Three down. Three graduated. I feel proud of them. Very proud. Education is so very important--much more so than ever before. The days of lucrative factory jobs straight out of high school, without any post highs chool education, are all but over, especially in the area we live in. Plants like the nearby GM plant are closing and those $30/hour jobs are going with them. Education or specialized training is no longer just as option, it's a necessity.

My youngest daughter will return to complete a bachelors degree in early childhood education in the fall (she received an associates degree a couple of years ago), and I couldn't be happier about that. She'll be a wonderful teacher, and a teaching career will allow her plenty of time with my little grandson and any future family she may have.

And as for me...I don't just talk the talk. I'm a part-time student myself now and plan to finish a degree when I retire from the university in a few years. Even at this age, at nearly the end of a very satisfying and productive career, I realize how important education is. I'm excited about learning and I look forward to every class I take. In the fall, I'm taking a Short Story class and a Geology class. Can't wait.

If you're thinking about taking a class or going back to school, go for it. There's never been a better time.

Don't tell me how to vote...

I was reading the Cincinnati Enquirer this morning, catching up on the news of the recently-completely minicamp for my beloved Bengals. The Chad Johnson saga continues, but the rest of the team seems to be working hard and pulling their weight. One part of the article, though, quite irritated me. At the end of Coach Marvin Lewis's press conference, as he was leaving, instead of answering parting questions, Coach Lewis instructed the crowd to "Vote for [Barack] Obama."

Hmmm. Well now. What do you know? It's June and Coach Lewis is worried that I may not be intelligent or informed enough to make up my own mind about which candidate I should support come November. Isn't that nice? With all that Marvin Lewis has to worry about....i.e. spoiled, loud-mouthed players who don't want to play, players who gain notoriety not for their playing ability but for their embarrassing legal troubles, first-round draft picks who get suspended for a continual inability to pass a drug test, and coaching just one winning season out of his 5 as head coach....it boggles the mind that he has the time, not to be mention the audacity, to tell me how to cast my ballot.

Well here's a message to Coach Lewis. Stick to what you know best, sir. You seem to have enough on your plate without worrying about my vote. If it's all the same to you, I'll make my own decision about who to support this fall. Thanks anyway.