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This is OT, but I would like to share it with everyone here on RC. Our 
daughter, Elysse, was recently inducted into the National Honor Society, 
and we announced the good news to our extended family. My brother, Dana, 
sent the following letter of advice to Elysse along with his 
congratulations. Now, I love my brother, and I would have to say he is 
smarter than me, but that I am better looking. My mother says it doesn't 
matter, us kids get our looks and our brains from our Dad, because she 
still has hers!
  Be that as it may, I felt that what he wrote was so perfect for a 
young person to read and absorb as she sits on the threshhold of adult 
life, and I think there are some great reminders in there for all of us 
"geezers," too.  Pardon the length. Enjoy.    Dr Q

Wow, way to go, Elysse!  Your aunt Kelli and I are very proud of you, but  
that stands, no matter what field you choose.

Since I seem to be full of useless advice lately, you might as well  
be exposed to my thoughts on getting a college education. They are  
brief and nothing unique, but maybe of use to you, as you plan your  
life:

- Remember that a "liberal arts" education is supposed to be more  
than taking courses that qualify you for a career.  It's supposed to  
be about becoming a better and more well rounded human being.  It  
should include some science, some literature and philosophy, some  
history or anthropology, some foreign language, some art and/or music  
and some sports.  Each of these experiences will help you to adopt or  
understand other viewpoints more easily and to develop the empathy  
and connection with others that will allow you to make a greater  
contribution with your life.

- It can easily include pottery and basketweaving, if that sounds  
like fun.  It should not be entirely about work and getting perfect  
grades.

- It should include the opportunity to get to know your instructors  
one on one, to find out why they are passionate about what they do  
and to allow them to share it with you, outside of class.

- it should take place in a different environment, to allow you the  
freedom to be open to new ideas - this could be as close as across  
town, or as far away as Europe, but it should include a good number  
of students and faculty who come from a number of different  
backgrounds and locations.

- It should include the opportunity to live with other students who  
are exploring, just as you are.

- it must be located near good pizza.

- It should be far away enough from home that you won't run into your  
mom at the grocery store when you are dating the art major with the  
smelly dreadlocks.  There will be time enough to introduce him later,  
if things get serious.

- It should be close to activities unrelated to college life - the  
outdoors, or the cultural opportunities of a bigger city, maybe a  
different climate.

- It should allow you to work part-time, so that you will not forget  
to relate to people who work for  a living, plus it will help you  
feel good about the sacrifice you will make towards your own  
education.  Your parents don't owe you anything, and the fact that  
they love you and want to help you get an education should never be  
taken for granted.  Paying your own way in life always feels good, in  
the end.

- It should never be taken so seriously that you forget to wake up  
with a smile on your face almost every day (hey, nobody's perfect.)   
Your path in life is your own; you will undoubtedly receive all kinds  
of advice about what to do with it, (like this piece of geezer-emia)  
but the only serious mistake you can ever really make is in failing  
to participate. Life is not a supposed to be a spectator sport.

- It should include some painfully embarrassing mistakes.  Expect  
them and allow people to forgive you, while you remember to forgive  
them.  It's only a game, and it's best played without too much  
protection or you lose out on some of the "flavor".

- It should help you choose your path in life by feeding your  
passion.  Use that as your crap detector; give new experiences some  
time, but if after a while it doesn't seem interesting enough to  
allow you to forget who you are and what time it is, it probably is  
not the direction you should take in life, regardless of how good it  
will make others feel about you, or how much money you will make.   
You will always have enough for a great life if you become the best  
at what you choose, and you can only be the best at it, if you have  
passion for it.

OK, that's probably more than I would have wanted to hear at your  
age, so I'll stop. If it's useful, great.  If not, just know that  
giving advice is sometimes a part of reflecting on the value of one's  
own life, and I thank you for the opportunity to have reflected on  
mine.  It's been a pretty good one, so far!

Love,

Uncle Dana




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