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Post by doc on Feb 14, 2020 20:32:19 GMT
I was up in Cleveland the last couple days. Last night as I was driving home I hit Columbus at about 6:30 pm. I was listening to 70's on 7 station on Sirius radio and as songs came on I immediately recalled the first time I heard them - most of them came out while I was a student at Ohio State. And then it hit me that it's been 40 years since I graduated. My mind wandered back to those days and how much they impacted my life and helped mold me into the person I am today. It was quite a nostalgic drive through Columbus.
I went to a predominantly black high school, in fact I often refer to my high school years as the 4 years I was black. Most of my best friends were black, I played football and I was on of 5 white guys on the team. Our coaches were all black - they used to call us the N word on a daily basis. Obviously if a majority of my classmates were black there weren't many white girls at the school - I had my eye on a couple but I was way to shy to talk with them. I didn't do much socializing. My neighborhood friends went to different high schools so I didn't hang out much with them. It was a pretty boring time for me.
Then I went to Ohio State. I was way behind everyone socially but then I discovered liquid courage (beer) and I slowly came out of my shell. I was still behind others but at least I didn't piss my pants when I talked with girls. I had many many great times at Ohio State. My room mates were great guys, we had the same interests, we were misfits but at least we found each other. And we helped each other grow up. I was the best man at both of my room mate's weddings. We've kept in touch - one lives in Arizona and the other just moved to Louisville but I rarely see them. We talk on Facebook 2 or 3 times a month. And we reminisce about the days at Ohio State - I laugh till I cry. I can't believe it's been 40 years. I met my wife after college but I don't think I would have had the guts to talk with her had I met her in high school or my early college days. And I wouldn't have had the guts to talk with her I not gone through the 4 years of socializing at Ohio State. I'm good at what I do professionally - I probably could have succeeded in my job without college. But I would have never achieved what I have in life had it not been for my years had Ohio State, outside the classroom. I truly love the university and what it's meant to me in my life. So last night as I was driving through town, listening to songs like New Kid in Town, My Sharonna, Heart of Glass and Paradise by the Dashboard Light I thought back to those days and what I was doing when I first heard those tunes - one thing's pretty certain, I was having some of the greatest times of my early life. In some respects, 40 years seem like yesterday. How Firm Thy Friendship, O-HI-O!
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Post by bluehen on Feb 14, 2020 22:01:31 GMT
Nice personal story ,doc. Kinda reminds me of my own transition from high school to college regarding girls......shy to excessive .
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Post by Bevo on Feb 15, 2020 18:56:25 GMT
I don't get to drive through Austin very often, but when I do, I get the same kinds of feelings. 40 years ago... YIKES! That was around the time that I was really starting to figure out how to succeed at college. I started actually studying.. a LOT! That year was the first time I didn't live in a dorm. My dorm roommate and I joined two friends and moved to an apartment in the Riverside Drive part of Austin... Just west of Town Lake. It was a FUN area. By that time, I started to get over the major funk of having broken up with my long time (3.5 years) High School sweetheart. It was traumatic, and I almost flunked out in the fall semester of 1979. But, by Spring, I began to realize just how many AWESOME girls were out there, and realizing that I had enough "game" to get with some of them. I went through a string of different girls...
That was the HEIGHT of the Disco era. We regularly went to a place called "Flanagan's'... very near our apartment. I had about a 30% pickup rate. One of my roommates was OVER 100%. I mean, two times.. he picked up TWO girls in one night. Those were just hookups though, and they don't count. I did eventually settle on a couple of girlfriends (one at a time) that I really liked..
It is amazing to me as well just how much my brain associates MUSIC with those memories. Michael Jackson's "Don't stop till you get enough" always takes me to Flanagans. When I hear anything from Dan Fogelberg's "Innocent Age" album, I think about Karen #2 (I dated three Karen's in a row... two at one time). We both loved that album, and we laid around listening to it for extended 'fun sessions'.
Around that same time... Summer of 1980, I started my first of two summers as a "Black" person. I spent those summers working in a maintenance crew in Dow Chemical. It was 7-8 of us.. ALL black, except me. The foreman was a helluva man. He had 5 daughters and a son. Otis put ALL of the girls through college. His son never went, but had a good job at Dow.
I was usually assigned to work with Willie "No Middle Name" Bell, and he was my domino partner. Willie was much older... I think in his late 50's, at least. He was a MASSIVE man. Barrel chested. Arms of steel. He could swing a sledge hammer like no one I ever saw. He also usually carried $2-3k in his wallet. He owned a bunch of rental houses and was always on the lookout for a good deal.
They took me in, or at least tolerated me. I was, by far, the WORST domino player. That's why they made Willie play with me. After we'd all played twice, they would knew exactly what dominoes I was holding. They'd slam down three dominoes really quick and loud, "Ten CentS!, FIFTEEN!! Gimme a nickel!"... and, then I'd be sitting there... "uh... Uh...'.
Willie, who stuttered, would rise up in his seat a little and say, "P-P-P-PLAY that deuce-Fo, boy!" Oh.. right!
When I started dating a true Nymphomaniac (yes, they DO exist) in Austin... I was going up there EVERY weekend. I'd come back and tell Willie about all our crazy antics. He started calling me "Austin Kid". Those were good times.
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Post by Bevo on Feb 15, 2020 21:34:21 GMT
But I would have never achieved what I have in life had it not been for my years had Ohio State, When I graduated from UT, my Dad bought for me a massive, gold class ring. I wear it almost every day. It's one of the VERY few things that I haven't lost over the years. (I'm on wedding ring #3) It means a LOT to me. Sometimes, I just look at it, and think about all the great things that ring (and what it symbolizes) has enabled for me, and for my family. Funny thing was: at one point, I actually DID NOT want to go to college. I was SO in LOVE with my HS girlfriend. I wanted to stay home, and get married. I was working for 7-11, and they had offered me a store manager job, with a guarantee to be an Area Supervisor within 2 years. The money was GREAT! Better than what I first earned as an engineer. It sounded like a good option to me. NOT, to my mother. She laid down the ultimate ultimatum. "If you don't go to college, I will NEVER speak to you again". This, from my mother who had just received a 98% fatal cancer diagnosis. She would not be denied. To this day, people sometimes ask me whether my ring is a "Bowl ring", or some kind of Championship? LOL no... just a Chemical Engineer ring. But, I love it. |
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Post by bluehen on Feb 16, 2020 1:39:17 GMT
Bevo did you ever consider any other University for chemical Engineering or U of Texas all the way.
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Post by Bevo on Feb 16, 2020 4:47:40 GMT
Bevo did you ever consider any other University for chemical Engineering or U of Texas all the way. Never. Because I was Salutatorian at my High School, I had a 100% free scholarship offer at Rice.... which, was about 30 minutes away from my home. But, I was a LONGHORN football fan, after 1969.. when I was 10 years old. Never, ever considered going ANYWHERE else. That's the power of football. |
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Post by doc on Feb 16, 2020 13:38:35 GMT
NOT, to my mother. She laid down the ultimate ultimatum. "If you don't go to college, I will NEVER speak to you again".
I didn’t do particularly well my first quarter at Ohio State. I had too much freedom and was having way too much fun. So when my mom saw my grades she threatened to pull me out of OSU and have me go to the local school, Wright State, where I would be closer to check on. I told her I’d straighten up and to give me another shot which she did and I was fine from them on. Nothing like a kick in the ass from mom to get you back on the right track!!
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Post by bluehen on Feb 16, 2020 15:14:37 GMT
Bevo did you ever consider any other University for chemical Engineering or U of Texas all the way. Never. Because I was Salutatorian at my High School, I had a 100% free scholarship offer at Rice.... which, was about 30 minutes away from my home. But, I was a LONGHORN football fan, after 1969.. when I was 10 years old. Never, ever considered going ANYWHERE else. That's the power of football. Wow, that's impressive Bevo. I figured you might have been rejected for admission to trump university and had to settle for U of Texas.
Chemical Engineering is probably Delaware's strongest discipline with close ties and support from the DuPont company.
According to US NEWS & WORLD REPORT - Top rated undergraduate Chemical Engineering programs :
1) MIT
2) Cal - Berkley
3) Ga Tech
4) Univ of Texas !
10) U of Delaware ( #8 in Chem Engineering Grad program )
........again, very impressive Bevo !
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Post by Bevo on Feb 16, 2020 18:07:49 GMT
NOT, to my mother. She laid down the ultimate ultimatum. "If you don't go to college, I will NEVER speak to you again". I didn’t do particularly well my first quarter at Ohio State. I had too much freedom and was having way too much fun. So when my mom saw my grades she threatened to pull me out of OSU and have me go to the local school, Wright State, where I would be closer to check on. I told her I’d straighten up and to give me another shot which she did and I was fine from them on. Nothing like a kick in the ass from mom to get you back on the right track!! I actually went to a local Jr. College my freshman year. This was mainly because it was my sister's last year in college, and Dad was financially strapped paying for her. I didn't mind. It kept me close to my girlfriend and our relationship was really heating up. That was a GREAT year... probably my happiest ever. It was the last year before we knew about Mom's cancer. The professors were terrific at the JC. I took a lot of hours and still kept 3.9 and 4.0 those two semesters. When I transferred to UT the next year, I was pretty much already in Upper Division classes. The first semester was a breeze... lots of stuff I'd already been taught. The Spring semester is when trouble started. I'd never made a "C" in my life. I skipped "C", and made a "D"!! rut row! And then, the next fall is when my gf and I broke up. That, and Organic Chemistry just about sent me home. But, I survived. And, my grades improved every semester after that until I graduated. I ended UT with a 2.8 GPA in my major, 3.0 overall. But, I had a good story to explain why. Plus, I paid my own way... by working during the summers and during the year. Back then, Chem E's didn't have to have TOP grades to get a job. I had 5 offers before I graduated. It's a bit different now. They're expected to get >3.4 to get a good offer. I pity the kids today. |
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Post by Bevo on Feb 16, 2020 18:08:58 GMT
Never. Because I was Salutatorian at my High School, I had a 100% free scholarship offer at Rice.... which, was about 30 minutes away from my home. But, I was a LONGHORN football fan, after 1969.. when I was 10 years old. Never, ever considered going ANYWHERE else. That's the power of football. Wow, that's impressive Bevo. I figured you might have been rejected for admission to trump university and had to settle for U of Texas.
Chemical Engineering is probably Delaware's strongest discipline with close ties and support from the DuPont company.
According to US NEWS & WORLD REPORT - Top rated undergraduate Chemical Engineering programs :
1) MIT
2) Cal - Berkley
3) Ga Tech
4) Univ of Texas !
10) U of Delaware
........again, very impressive Bevo !
MIT guys are awesome.. and, Ga Tech is OK... I've never met a Chem E from Cal-Berkley. I can't believe they wouldn't be screwed up in the head. |
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Post by doc on Feb 17, 2020 14:20:34 GMT
Never. Because I was Salutatorian at my High School, I had a 100% free scholarship offer at Rice.... which, was about 30 minutes away from my home. But, I was a LONGHORN football fan, after 1969.. when I was 10 years old. Never, ever considered going ANYWHERE else. That's the power of football. Wow, that's impressive Bevo. I figured you might have been rejected for admission to trump university and had to settle for U of Texas.
Chemical Engineering is probably Delaware's strongest discipline with close ties and support from the DuPont company.
According to US NEWS & WORLD REPORT - Top rated undergraduate Chemical Engineering programs :
1) MIT
2) Cal - Berkley
3) Ga Tech
4) Univ of Texas !
10) U of Delaware
........again, very impressive Bevo !
You left the University of Dayton of the list...our daughter is a ChemE from Dayton - she's doing very well, really proud of her! She worked lightyears harder than her dad did in college!!! |
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Post by Bevo on Feb 17, 2020 18:28:04 GMT
She worked lightyears harder than her dad did in college!!! It's not the easiest degree to get. But, one that can open a lot of doors. Your daughter can name her ticket. I'm still not sure how you managed to produce an off-spring who so "has her shit together", so to speak.  She is one heck of an impressive young lady. |
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Post by doc on Feb 17, 2020 19:17:47 GMT
She worked lightyears harder than her dad did in college!!! It's not the easiest degree to get. But, one that can open a lot of doors. I'm still not sure how you managed to produce an off-spring who so "has her shit together", so to speak. She is one heck of an impressive young lady. She get's it all from her mother although her ability to retain information comes from me. Fortunately for her, she has the ability to retain info about chemistry, calculus and physics. I retain who who Best Actor in 1945, the 1969 Super Bowl and how many home runs Johnny Bench hit in his career. |
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Post by bluehen on Feb 17, 2020 20:13:31 GMT
Bench's HRs were physics and some chemistry
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Post by doc on Feb 18, 2020 14:01:12 GMT
Bench's HRs were physics and some chemistry and mostly as a catcher.... |
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She is one heck of an impressive young lady.